FISH  HATCHIjra 

AH» 

FISH  CATCHIITG 

SETH  GREEN 

AN3& 

B,  B,  ROO8STSLT. 


REESE    LIBRARY 

or  THK 

UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA. 

Received. 

Accessions  No. . ^2 . .4^2,  ^     Shelf  No. 


FISH  HATCHING, 


V.'.' 
— AND — 


FISH  CATCHING. 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


—  BY  — 


R.  BARNWELL  ROOSEVELT, 

Commissioner  of  Fisheries  of  the  State  of  New    York,  Author  of 
Game  Fish,  etc.,  etc., 


SETH    GREE'N, 

Superintendent  of  Fisheries  of  the  State  of  New    York. 


ROCHESTER,  N.  Y. : 

UNION   AND    ADVERTISER   CO.'S   BOOK   AND   JOB    PRINT. 
1879. 


OF   THE 

^UNIVERSITY) 
FISH  HATCHING. 


INTRODUCTION. 

During  the  few  years  which  have  intervened  since  the 
discovery  offish  culture,  its  practise  has  advanced  with 
rapid  strides,  and  although  it  is  still  little  more  than  in 
its  infancy ;  the  laws  which  govern  its  management  have 
been  HO  far  ascertained  and  applied  that  it  is  now  an 
established  art,  capable  of  yielding  vast  results  for  the 
benefit  of  mankind.  The  dajs  of  doubt  and  uncertainty 
have  passed  away,  and  numerous  experiments  lending 
invariably  to  the  same  end  have  established  it  on  a  firm 
basis.  For  a  time  cautious  persons,  even  when  most 
enthusiastic  could  not  help  questioning  in  their  own 
minds  what  the  final  outcome  would  be,  and  whether  all 
that  was  predicted  for  the  new  undertaking  would  be 
realized,  but  success  in  all  well  considered  and  properly 
conducted  attempts  has  swept  away  fear  and  hesitation, 
and  experience  may  now  be  said  to  have  fully  confirmed 
the  highest  hopes  of  the  most  sanguine.  The  possibilities 
which  fish  culture  suggested  were  so  far  beyond  what  can 
be  obtained  in  other  fields  of  human  labor,  so  greatly 
exceeded  the  best  results  in  agriculture  that  it  seemed 
impossible  that  they  could  be  realized,  or  that  this  enter- 
prise would  have  remained  so  long  undiscovered  or  un- 
developed. But  day  after  day  and  year  after  year  the 
theory  has  been  put  in  practical  operation,  where  all  its 
steps  could  be  and  were  accurately  noted,  and  the  incredi- 
ble increase  and  profit  obtained  left  but  one  conclusion 
possible.  No  persons  could  be  more  cautious,  more  slow 


to  express  a  positive  opinion,  or  to  accept  a  hasty  judg- 
ment than  the  authors  of  this  work,  as  they  can  show  by 
all  their  wri  tings,  acts  and  utterances,  but  they  feel  at 
last  that  they  and  the  public  can  give  perfect  credence  to 
the  claims  of  fish  culture,  provided  it  be  conducted  as 
intelligently  and  wisely  as  other  departments  of  modern 
human  labor. 

It  must  not,  however,  be  forgotten  that  this  new  art  is 
as  exact  and  exacting,  as  any  other,  nor  that  it  has  its 
limits  and  must  be  managed  with  care  and  not  slurred 
over  or  slighted.  To  the  ignorant  and  indifferent  it  will 
yield  no  more  than  the  cultivation  of  the  land  and  possi- 
bly not  so  much,  and  precisely  what  those  limits  are  of 
which  we  speak  and  what  are  the  requisites  of  circum- 
stance and  manipulation,  this  work  is  intended  to  show. 
This  is  meant  for  a  practical  book  on  a  practical  subject,  in 
which  nothing  shall  be  stated  on  conjecture;  no  mere 
fancy  picture  however  alluring  shall  be  presented  to  the 
public,  and  the  bare  facts  with  plain  directions  shall  be 
given  that  all  who  wish  may  read  and  understand,  and  all 
who  have  the  opportunity  may  practice  what  is  herein  set 
forth.  With  that  view  no  attempt  will  be  made  at  grace  of 
diction,  and  scientific  names,  formulas  and  information 
will  be  omitted  as  far  as  is  thoroughly  consonant  with 
the  purpose  to  be  attained,  and  no  farther.  Many  mis- 
apprehensions exist  in  the  public  mind  in  relation  to  a 
matter  which  has  dawned  upon  the  world  so  lately  and 
so  suddenly,  expectations  as  extravagant  in  some  direc- 
tions as  they  are  depressed  in  others,  and  while  one  man 
will  try  to  raise  the  best  of  fish  from  the  worst  of  waters, 
another  doubts  if  anything  can  be  achieved  from  the 
most  favorable  opportunities.  It  is  the  function  of 
this  book  to  correct  these  mistakes  and  prevent  these 
blunders. 


The  culture  of  fish  has  been  gradually  extended  from 
one  species  to  another  until  we  have  a  fair  idea  of  what 
can  be  done  in  all  cases,  and  those  even  who  try  new  ex- 
periments have  much  to  guide  them,  and  can,  up  to  a 
certain  point  tread  with  assured  footsteps.  At  first  the 
only  species  treated  by  the  artificial  method  was  the  sal- 
mon, the  most  valuable  and  highly  prized ;  thereafter  the 
process  was  applied  to  trout,  then  to  shad  and  after- 
ward to  whitefish,  lake-trout,  herring,  perch,  bass,  striped 
bass,  bturgeon  and  many  others  with  more  or  less  suc- 
cess. The  greatest  promise  for  purely  artificial  manipu- 
lation is  with  the  salmon,  the  trout,  the  lake-trout  and 
the  shad,  but  the  close  study  of  the  habits  of  other  varie- 
ties which  followed  the  attempts  with  them  have  so  fa- 
miliarized the  fishculturists  with  the  necesities  of  their 
growth  and  increase  that  a  subsidiary  branch  of  fish-cul- 
ture has  grown  up  in  which  the  natural  process  is  assist- 
ed, protected  and  developed.  This  incidental  method 
has  yielded  benefits  that, allowing  for  the  difference  of  labor 
and  money  expended,  approach  those  reached  through  the 
more  scientific  and  intricate  management  of  the  higher 
classes  of  fish.  All  these  processes  will  be  considered,  ex- 
plained and  fully  detailed  in  order  that  the  utmost  benefit 
may  be  received  by  the  reader  from  the  knowedge  acquir- 
ed by  more  than  twenty  years  of  study  and  experiment  in 
the  production  and  growth  of  fish.  We  believe  that  we  can 
safely  say  that  the  authors  of  this  book  have  had  a  hun- 
dred fold  more  experience  in  pisciculture  than  any  other 
persons  in  this  country,  arid  that  by  them,  or  under  their 
control,  the  most  important  inventions  and  discover- 
ies have  been  made,  either  in  the  best  methods  of  im- 
pregnating and  hatching  the  eggs,  or  in  protecting, 
transporting  and  growing  the  fish.  They  have  been 
practically  engaged  in  fish  culture  since  its  introduction 


6 

into  America;  have  studied,  labored,  and  experimented 
in  all  its  departments :  have  tested  all  theories  propound- 
ed abroad  and  at  home,  and  have  had  under  their  charge 
in  the  New  York  state  hatching  house  the  largest  and 
most  efficient  establishment  in  the  world  for  producing 
actual  results,  and  for  separating  fact  from  error.  As  a 
consequence"  they  feel  they  can  promise  that  nothing  will 
be  given  as  an  established  fnct  that  has  not  been  fully 
proved  by  the  personal  experience  of  the  writers,  for 
they  are  resolved  to  make  this  book  trustworthy  if  it  is 
nothing  else. 

Before  entering  upon  the  details  of  practical  manage- 
ment, it  may  not  be  unadvisable  to  take  a  general  review 
offish  culture,  and  give  some  suggestions  of  universal 
application.  It  has  been  said  that  an  acre  ot  water  would 
produce  as  much  as  five  acres  of  land,  if  it  were  tilled 
with  equal  intelligence.  In  making  such  a  comparison, 
it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  crop  of  one  needs  no 
manure,  requires  no  care  during  its  period  of  growth  and 
alter  it  has  once  been  planted,  and  that  it  is  harvested  by 
simply  taking  it  from  the  water  in  which  it  dwells.  It 
is  almost  wholly  profit.  The  other  must  not  merely  be 
planted  but  must  be  fertilized  at  great  expense,  and 
worked  and  cultivated  with  assiduous  labor  of  man  and 
beast,  and  finally  when  at  last  successfully  harvested  and 
saved  from  destruction  through  disease,  insects  and  the 
elements,  it  yields  but  a  meagre  advance  upon  the  cost 
of  time  and  trouble.  It  has  been  the  habit  to  cultivate 
the  land  and  neglect  the  water,  the  one  has  been  reduced 
to  private  ownership  and  constitutes  a  large  part  of  in- 
dividual wealth,  while  the  other  is  a  sort  of  common 
property  too  little  appreciated  to  be  reduced  to  possession 
where  this  is  possible,  and  abandoned  as  a1  sort  of  waste  to 
yield  what  it  may  without  care  to  the  tew  chance  persons 


who  make  a  living  out  of  it.  If  our  wheat  crop  is  damaged 
or  the  corn  crop  diminished  or  the  cotton  crop  short,  the 
public  press  rings  with  lamentation,  and  the  country 
mourns  over  a  national  calamity.  But  the  supply  of  our 
fish  crop  yielding  millions  of  pounds  of  food  per  annum 
may  be  in  process  of  utter  annihilation,  and  yet  no  voice 
is  raised,  and  we  sit  by  with  folded  hands  in  idleness.  The 
land  we  value  dearly,  because  to  till  it  costs  us  dear  in 
sweat  and  thought,  and  the  water  we  despise  because  it 
yields  its  free  will  offering  without  an  effort  on  our  part. 
We  have  tilled  the  ground  four  thousand  years,  we  have 
just  begun  to  till  the  water. 

KINDS  OF  WATER  AND  FISH-FECUNDITY-COLD-BLOODED 
CREATURES. — Fish  can  be  raised  with  less  trouble  and 
cost  than  other  articles  of  food.  The  lakes  and  rivers 
are  full  of  animal  and  vegetable  organizations  upon 
which  fish  can  live,  now  wasted,  but  which  should 
be  utilized  by  stocking  these  waters  by  suitable  varieties. 
There  is  not  only  an  abundance  of  food,  but  it  is 
also  true  that  fish  need  less  food  to  produce  a  given 
amount  of  flesh  than  is  required  by  birds  or  quad- 
rupeds. The  amount  which  will  make  a  pound  of  poultry 
or  beef,  will  make  many  pounds  of  fish  ;  this  is  owing  to 
the  fact  that  they  are  cold  blooded  and  usually  inactive 
animals.  When  we  see  them  in  water,  they  are  in  motion 
because  they  see  us ;  at  times  they  go  long  distances  in 
search  of  breeding  places,  but  they  are,  as  a  rule,  quite 
torpid  in  their  habits.  Animal  action  consumes  the 
system.  For  this  reason,  those  who  wish  to  tatten  cattle 
or  poultry  keep  them  confined.  Animal  heat  is  also  a 
great  consumer  of  food,  and  a  large  share  of  all  that  is 
eaten  by  warm  blooded  animals  is  needed  to  maintain 
this  vital  heat.  As  fish  are  cold-blooded,  they  need 
but  little  food  for  this  purpose,  and  most  that  they 


8 

goes  to  make  bulk  and  weight.  The  fact  that  this  class 
of  animals  will  live  a  long  time  without  eating  anything 
is  familiar  to  all.  There  is  but  little  waste  of  their  sys- 
tem in  any  way.  We  frequently  see  birds  and  fishes 
kept  in  the  same  rooms,  while  the  first  are  restless  and 
need  constant  care  and  feeding,  and  frequent  cleansing  of 
their  cages, "the  latter  are  almost  motionless,  unless  dis- 
turbed ;  and  as  the  water  in  which  they  are  kept  is  usually 
clear  and  fresh,  it  has  in  it  but  little  food. 

It  may  be  true  that  a  pound  of  fish  does  not  contain  as 
much  nourishment  as  a  pound  of  beef,  but  the  difference 
is  by  no  means  as  great  as  the  difference  in  the  cost  of 
production.  For  some  purposes  of  health  it  is  much 
more  valuable  than  a  like  weight  of  other  food.  Less 
care  and  labor  are  needed  to  raise  fish  than  to  raise  other 
animals,  or  even  to  raise  vegetables.  We  must  give  close 
attention  to  our  flocks  and  herds  throughout  the  year,  and 
we  must  toil  through  a  long  season  in  our  fields  to  make 
vegetables  grow.  Lakes  and  rivers  are  well  said  to  be 
like  fields  prepared  for  seed.  Fish  only  need  our  help  in 
one  way.  At  breeding  times  their  eggs  are  mostly  des- 
troyed by  numerous  enemies,  and  but  few  are  hatched. 
By  artificial  means  at  a  trifling  cost  nearly  all  the  eggs 
can  be  saved,  and  vast  numbers  of  young  produced. 

While  on  this  analogy,  it  may  be  suggested  that  rota- 
tion of  crops  may  be  as  advantageously  introduced  in 
piscicultute  as  in  agriculture.  In  a  portion  of  France, 
where  the  land  is  low  and  can  be  overflowed  at  pleasure, 
by  a  system  of  dyking,  crops  of  grain  and  eels  are  alter- 
nated, the  latter  being  the  most  profitable,  but  this  is 
only  the  germ  of  the  true  principle.  When  one  sort 
of  root  or  grain  or  vegetable  is  repeated  on  the  same 
land,  it  is  found  that  the  soil  is  exhausted  of  its  food, 
while  its  enemies  are  augmented  in  number.  Identically 


the  same  thing  occurs  with  fish  when  they  are  kept  in 
one  locality.  They  use  up  their  food  and  increase  the 
list  of  their  foes.  So  soon  as  this  happens  they  suffer, 
and  should  be  supplanted  by  a  different  species,  living 
on  different  food,  and  having  a  totally  different  class  of 
enemies.  Wherever  this  has  been  done,  the  effect  has 
been  surprising,  the  new  species  increasing  enormously 
for  the  first  few  years,  and  then  meeting  the  fate  of  its 
predecessors.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  stomachs  of 
fish  are  so  often  found  to  be  entirely  empty  of  food, 
and  the  migratory  varieties  seem  hardly  to  feed  at  all 
while  preparing  to  spawn.  This  would  imply  either 
that  they  digest  very  rapidly,  or  can  |go  a  long  time 
without  nutriment,  and,  probably,  both  of  these  deduc- 
tions are  true.  Heat  and  motion  are  the  main  consum 
ers  of  food,  for  animal  bodies  are  physically  machines, 
which  must  be  supplied  with  fuel  if  motion  is  to  be  gen- 
erated, and  will  wear  out  with  friction  unless  the  waste 
is  restored.  A  man  or  a  horse  can  only  perform  his 
quota  of  work  if  his  body  is  thoroughly  nourished,  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  neither  needs  nor  can  digest  his  full 
amount  of  food  unless  he  works.  The  terrestrial  ani- 
mals are  warm  blooded  and  active,  many  of  them,  in 
their  natural  state,  getting  their  food  by  the  chase, 
whereas  fish  are  cold  blooded,  and,  although  occasionally 
making  long  journeys,  are  ordinarily  quiet. 

The  following  points  upon  fish  culture  seem  to  be 
established  :  First — Fish  culture,  extending  to  every  de- 
sirable variety  of  fish  is  entirely  practicable.  Second — 
It  may,  under  proper  management,  be  made  profitable  to 
the  producer  ;  as  much  so  or  more  than  the  cultivation 
of  land,  or  of  land  animals,  and  on  similar  conditions. 
Third — It  may  furnish  to  all  classes  an  abumdance  of 
cheap,  and  the  most  nutritious  and  healthful  food. 


10 

Fourth — It  is  absolutely  necessary  in  order  to  the  pres- 
ervation of  the  fish  of  the  country  from  total  destruction. 
Fifth — Every  section  of  our  country,  and  all  its  creeks, 
rivers,  lakes  and  seacoasts  are  available  for  this,  care 
being  taken  that  the  right  kinds  of  fish  be  selected  for 
the  waters  into  which  they  are  placed,  observing  latitude, 
climate,  temperature  and  quality  of  the  water.  Sixth — 
It  may  be  carried  on  by  stocking  waters  with  young  fish 
brought  from  hatching  establishments,  or  by  obtaining 
eggs  fur  hatching,  and  both  eggs  and  young  fish  may  be 
transported  safely  to  almost  any  distance.  Seventh — The 
money  capital  required  for  these  operations  is  small, 
skill,  care,  patience,  perseverence  and  common  sense, 
the  same  as  m  any  other  business,  being  the  chief  requi- 
sites. Eighth — Individual  enterprise  is  alone  sufficient 
for  success,  though  State  action  is  desirable;  indeed, 
legislation  is  essential,  if  not  to  foster  at  least  to  protect 
those  engaged  in  the  business  of  fish  culture. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FISH  CULTURE. 

We  do  not  propose  to  trace  back  the  Science  of  fish 
culture  to  its  origin,  nor  settle  the  disputed  claims  of 
individuals  or  nations,  to  its  discovery.  That  the  old  stag- 
nant, almond-eyed  nation  of  the  East  may  have  known 
something  of  it,  as  that  curious,  half  developed  race  had 
misty  intimations  of  many  other  important  natural  phe- 
nomena is  not  to  be  doubted ;  but  the  knowledge  was  of 
small  extent  and  little  utility,  and  has  remained  like  the 
people  among  whom  it  existed,  without  development.  Its 
practice  consisted  mainly  in  transporting  from  place  to 
place,  certain  varieties  of  fish-eggs,  which  had  the  pecul- 


11 

iarity  of  sticking  to  whatever  they  touched  after  emission 
from  the  parent.  These  were  caught  on  twigs,  sticks,  and 
branches  of  trees,  and  so  carried  wherever  they  were 
needed.  They  were  protected  as  they  developed,  and 
used  to  stock  waters  which  had  been  depopulated.  This 
was  but  a  rude  attempt  at  fish  culture,  and  beyond  it 
there  was  little  more  real  foundation  than  for  the  pre- 
tence of  hatching  spawn  in  the  eggs  of  fowls  beneath 
setting  hens. 

The  children  of  Confucius,  thousands  of  years  ago,  in 
this  as  in  many  other  investigations,  commenced  groping 
from  the  darkness  of  ignorance  toward  the  light  of  truth  ; 
but  before  they  had  passed  into  the  twilight  of  the  morn- 
ing, they  seemed  to  be  stricken  with  paralysis,  and  like 
the  fabled  seven  sleepers,  have  stood  on  the  semblance  of 
death  ever  since. 

The  French  have  the  honor  of  originating  fish  culture 
as  now  practiced  among  civilized  nations.  Two  French- 
men, Bailee^  Remy  and  Gehin,  having  observed  that  the 
mature  eggs  of  certain  fish  flow  from  their  bodies  on  the 
slightest  pressure,  and  comprehended  what  important 
results  might  be  obtained  by  taking  advantage  of  this 
peculiarity. 

It  was  some  years  after  these  discoveries  in  France  that 
America  commenced  to  take  an  interest  in  this  subject, 
and  from  its  geographical  conformation  and  political 
government,  labored  under  the  greatest  disadvantages. 
Many  different  States  have  conflicting  rights  in  the  same 
waters.  Rivers  rising  under  one  jurisdiction,  frequently 
pass  under  several  others  before  they  reach  the  sea ;  lakes 
touch  or  are  included  within  four  or  five  States ;  streams 
divide  or  bound  two  or  more  sovereignties.  This  diver- 
sity of  control,  and  often  of  interest,  naturally  threatened 


12 

to  be  fatal  to  any  attempt  at  fish  culture  which  required 
a  uniform  system  in  all  waters  to  which  it  is  applied.  Take 
as  an  example  of  this  difficulty,  the  most  southerly  of  all 
known  American  salmon  rivers  of  the  Atlantic  coast  - 
the  Connecticut.  This  magnificent  water-course,  once 
abounding  in  countless  myriads  of  the  noblest  of  fish, 
rises  amid  the  wild,  rugged  hills  on  the  confines  of  Maine 
and  Canada  near  the  lakes  in  whose  crystal  waters  still 
sport  the  largest  brook  trout  of  America.  Concentrating 
its  numerous  tributaries  into  one  grand  river,  it  flows  be- 
tween the  green  mountains  of  Vermont  and  the  still 
more  imposing  ranges  of  New  Hampshire;  next  it  cuts 
Massachusetts  nearly  in  two,  and  finally  sweeping  through 
Connecticut,  now  deep  enough  to  float  vessels  of  war  and 
carry  important  commerce,  it  empties  into  Long  Island 
Sound.  Here  we  have  in  the  first  place  the  rights  and 
interests  of  the  estuary  fishing  at  its  mouth,  once  valuable 
net  fisheries  for  salmon,  and  still  productive  of  shad  ;  in 
these  the  State  of  Connecticut  is  deeply  concerned. 
Above  these  are  the  dams  at  Holyoke,  fatal  to  all  migra- 
tory fish,  among  which  are  to  be  counted  both  the  salmon 
and  shad,  but  which  have  contributed  much  to  the  wealth 
of  Massachusetts,  and  are  busy  all  year  long  in  driving 
millions  of  looms  and  spindles.  Farther  north,  the  resi- 
dents along  the  fluvial  portion  of  the  stream,  in  Vermont 
and  New  Hampshire,  complained  that  for  more  than  half 
a  century  no  salmon  or  shad  has  been  permitted  to  reach 
them  and  to  bring  their  welcome  dowry  of  wholesome 
food  to  their  very  doors.  While  still  further  to  the  north- 
ward the  lumbermen  must  be  consulted  as  to  what  effect 
the  introduction  of  salmon  and  shad  culture  will  have 
on  their  rafts  and  rafting  dams. 

Our  country  has  a  compensation  in  the  character  of 
its  fish  which  more  than  makes  up  for  these  disadvanta- 


13 

ges,  and  has  led  to  a  more  vigorous  prosecution  ol  fish 
culture,  and  more  valuable  discoveries  in  implement 
and  methods  than  in  any  other  land.  The  fish  of  North 
America  are  the  finest  in  the  world  for  food  and  sport, 
while  some  species  have  peculiar  recommendations  to 
the  fish  culturist.  Probably  the  most  valuable  variety 
to  be  found  anywhere  is  the  shad  ;  it  is  scarcely  sur- 
passed for  the  table,  it  is  among  the  most  prolific,  it  is 
the  most  easily  manipulated,  its  eggs  hatch  in  the  short- 
est time,  its  fry  require  no  care  after  birth,  and  being 
migratory  it  draws  its  sustenance  from  the  sea  while  it 
travels  far  inland,  in  its  periodic  visits  to  the  land.  We 
have  abundant  varieties  for  the  vast  extent  of  valuable 
waters  in  our  states,  from  the  sluggish  turbid  streams 
and  ponds  of  the  South  to  the  lively  sparkling  spring 
brooks  of  the  North ;  from  the  smallest  ponds  to  the 
immense  inland  seas  of  fresh  water.  For  the  lakes,  the 
Whitefish,  Salmon  Trout,  Herring,  Black  Bass  and 
Wall-eyed  Pike ;  for  the  rivers,  the  Yellow  Perch,  Black 
Bass,  Shad  and  Salmon ;  for  still  and  deep  streams,  the 
Bullhead  or  Catfish,  the  Perch  and  many  other  kinds  of 
coarse  fish ;  for  the  swift  mountain  stream,  the  Trout, 
Gold  Fish,  a  good  coarse  pan  fish,  can  be  grown  in 
all  our  rivers  and  bays.  Beyond  doubt,  with  very 
little  care  and  expense  these  fish  can  be  made  to 
abound  in  our  waters.  But  for  some  kinds  this  requires 
government  aid,  since  individuals  owning  parts  of 
streams  will  not  hatch  out  fish  there  at  their  own  ex- 
pense for  the  benefit  of  all  other  owners  of  the  stream, 
and  special  legislation  seems  to  be  required  to  get  fish- 
passes  constructed  over  the  numerous  dams  in  our  rivers 
and  to  prevent  substances  destructive  to  the  fish  being 
thrown  into  our  streams,  such  as  saw-dust  and  the  refuse 
of  paper  mills,  tanneries  and  dyeing  establishments. 


14 

But  if  with  comparatively  little  fare  and  expense  our 
great  rivers  can  be  stocked,  in  the  meanwhile  there  is 
room  enough  for  private  enterprise.  There  are  few  fann- 
ers in  our  country  who  do  not  have  upon  their  land  a  lake, 
or  spring,  or  clear  running  stream.  If  these  men  knew 
how  easily  they  could  turn  this  water  to  profit,  not 
only  by  raising  food  for  themselves,  but  a  supply  for 
the  city  and  village  market,  there  would  soon  be  very 
few  waters  without  their  finny  inhabitants.  How  much 
this  would  add  to  the  wealth  of  the  country  any  one 
can  see  at  a  glance. 

Fish  culture  is  not  a  matter  either  wholly  of  public  or 
private  interest,  in  part  it  is  one,  in  part  the  other.  The 
great  lakes,  the  immense  rivers,  the  long  line  of  ocean 
coast  can  only  be  restocked  by  governmental  aid  and 
for  the  general  good,  but  the  private  ponds,  the  small 
streams  and  the  individual  fisheries  are  to  be  replenished 
by  private  effort,  and  for  the  special  benefit  of  their  own- 
ers. As  the  shad  are  probably  the  best  and  most  val- 
uable fish  for  the  public,  so  is  the  trout  wherever  it 
belongs  or  can  be  acclimatized  the  most  desirable  for  indi- 
vidual purposes.  The  shad  yields  the  largest  amount  of 
food  while  the  trout  holds  the  highest  price  in  market, 
and  possesses  as  a  subject  of  sport  a  still  higher  value. 
Where  neither  shad  nor  trout  can  live  some  variety  of 
the  fresh  water  bass  will  answer  ^for  private  or  public 
waters,  and  the  pike  perch,  (wall-eyed  pike)  is  admir- 
ably adapted  to  larger  rivers  and  lakes.  There  is  hardly 
any  pond,  stream,  river  or  lake,  be  it  large  or  small  that 
cannot  be  utilized,  and  the  land  owner  that  has  not 
the  facilities  for  raising  salmon  may  supply  his  family 
with  an  excellent  article  of  food  in  the  shape  of  bull- 
heads or  gold  fish. 


15 

The  number  and  kinds  of  iish  that  are  treated  are 
increasing  daily.  The  Chinese  probably  confined  their 
efforts  to  carp.  We  began  on  salmon.  Then  the  effort 
was  extended  to  trout,  then  to  shad,  to  salmon  trout,  to 
whitelish,  to  striped  bass,  to  sturgeon,  to  smelt,  to  grayling 
and  indirectly  to  black  bass,  strawberry  bass,  oswego  bass, 
pike  perch,  yellow  perch,  cattish,  oysters,  lobsters,  gold 
fish,  and  other  fresh  water  fishes,  and  we  may  confidently 
expect  in  time,  to  assist  nature  in  multiplying  all  or 
nearly  all  the  fishes  that  live  on  our  coast  or  in  our  lakes 
and  rivers.  Not  a  year  passes  but  some  new  and  valuable 
discovery  is  made,  and  the  importance  and  interest  of 
fish  culture  increases  with  every  development.  Already 
twenty  four  states  and  territories  have  appointed  com- 
missioners to  protect  and  develop  their  fisheries  while 
the  United  States  have  established  a  Fishery  Commis- 
sion for  the  entire  Union.  The  systems  followed  in  the 
United  States  and  abroad,  even  in  modern  Europe  are 
wholly  different.  The  famous  establishment  at  Huenin- 
guen,  which  having  been  founded  by  France,  came  through 
the  fortune  of  war  under  the  dominion  of  Germany  is 
conducted  on  a  plan  that  seems  to  us  less  effective  and 
more  wasteful  that  is  adopted  here.  There  awards  are 
offered  for  ripe  fish,  which  are  secured  and  kept  alive  by 
individuals  in  any  part  of  the  country,  and  information  of 
the  fact  is  sent  to  the  authorities  at  Hueninguen,  who 
dispatch  an  expert  to  take  the  roe  and  melt  which  are  then 
hatched  at  that  establishment  under  government  care ; 
the  living  fry  being  distributed  again  at  government 
expense.  In  this  operation  there  is  more  labor  and  less 
profit  than^there  should  be.  There  is  danger  of  depleting 
the  waters  from  which  the  eggs  are  taken,  and  while  cer- 
tain streams  are  replenished  others  may  be  impoverished. 
With  us  mature  trout  are  kept  for  the  express  purpose 


16 

of  breeding,  no  shad,  whitefish  or  salmon  trout  are  used, 
except  those  that  would  be  caught  and  killed  by  the  fisher- 
man, and  salmon  eggs  are  only  obtained  from  rivers 
teeming  with  a  supply.  As  for  the  New  York  commis- 
sion we  can  say  no  fish  are  killed  purposely  to  obtain 
their  eggs,  and  no  streams  can  possibly  have  been  de- 
pleted by  the  action  of  the  commission. 

There  are  certain  well  marked  eras  in  fish  culture  in 
which  the  main  discoveries  have  been  made.  Most  of 
the  appliances  adopted  abroad  have  been  abandoned  with 
us,  and  great  strides  have  been  made  in  developing  the 
art.  Our  first  great  discovery  was  what  is  known  as  dry 
impregnation,  that  is  the  use  of  little  or  no  water  in  im- 
pregnating the  eggs  with  the  male  fluid.  This  was  kept 
a  secret  however,  from  the  public  until  it  was  re-discover- 
ed in  Russia.  Here  it  was  first  practiced  in  1864,  and  up 
to  that  time  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the  eggs  was  the 
greatest  number  impregnated ;  immediately  afterwards 
the  proportion  rose  to  seventy-five  per  cent,  and  is  now 
ninety  eight.  At  present  "  dry  impregnation  "  is  univer- 
sally adopted.  The  next  great  discovery  in  appliances 
was  the  shad  hatching  box,  which  has  never  been  super- 
ceded  for  certain  classes  of  fishes  and  situations,  nor  has  it 
been  improved  on  since  it  was  invented.  Another  seem- 
ingly trivial  but  extremely  important  discovery  was  the 
application  of  coal  tar  as  a  coating  to  wood  work  and  all 
articles  that  come  in  contact  with  the  eggs,  and  on  which 
fungus  could  do  harm  by  growing.  The  last  was 
the  invention  of  the  Holton  hatching  box  for  hatching 
whitefish,  but  which  is  a  valuable  convenience  in  manag- 
ing the  eggs  of  all  the  salmon  and  trout.  These  discover- 
ies have  reduced  the  labor  and  expense  of  fishculture  im- 
mensely, and  have  added  in  an  equal  degree  to  efficiency 
and  certainty  oi  success. 


17 

COMMISSIONERS  OF  FISHERIES — As  the  reader  may  de- 
sire to  communicate  with  the  commissioners  of  one  or 
more  of  the  states,  we  append  a  list  of  their  names  and 
addresses  as  they  were  in  the  year  1878  : 

UNITED    STATES. 

Prof.  Spencer  F.  Baird,. .  ,.\  Smithsonian    Institute, 

(      Washington,  D.  C. 

DOMINION    OF    CANADA. 

W.  F.  Whitcher Ottawa. 

W.H.Venning, St.  John. 

Inspector  of  Fisheries  for  New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia. 

MAINE. 

E.  M.  Stilwell, Bangor. 

Henry  O.  Stanley, Dixfield. 

NEW   HAMPSHIRE. 

Samuel    Webber Manchester. 

Albina  H.  Powers, Grantham. 

Luther   Hayes Milton. 

VERMONT. 

M.  Goldsmith, Rutland. 

W.  H.  Lord,  D.  D Montpelier. 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

Theodore  Lyman, Brookline. 

E.  A.   Bracket! t . .  .Winchester. 

Asa  French, South  Braintree. 

CONNECTICUT. 

William  M.  Hudson, Hartford. 

Robert  G.  Pike Middletown. 

James  A.   Bill, Lyme. 

RHODE   ISLAND. 

Newton    Dexter Providence. 

Alfred  A.  Reed,  Jr., Providence. 

John  H.  Barden, Scituate. 

NEW  YORK. 

R.  U.  Sherman, Oneida  Co.,  New  Hartford. 

Robert  B.  Roosevelt, New  York  City. 

Edward  M.  Smith, Rochester. 

MICHIGAN. 

Eli  B.    Miller, Richland. 

George  H.   Jerome, Niles* 

Andrew  J.   Kellog, Allegan. 


18 

NEW   JERSEY. 

J.  R.  Shotwell ; Rahway. 

G.  A.  Anderson, ,x.x. Trenton. 

D.  Howell, Woodbury. 

VIRGINIA. 

A.  Mosely, Richmond. 

D  r.  VV.  B.  Robertson, Lynchburg. 

W.  G.  Ellzey,... Blacksburg. 

ALABAMA. 

Charles  S.  G.  Doster,   ... Montgomery. 

Robert  Tyler, Montgomery. 

D.  R.  Hundly,, Cortland. 

CALIFORNIA. 

B.  B.  Redding, Sacramento. 

S.  R.  Throckmorton, San  Francisco. 

J.  D   Farwell, San  Francisco 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

H.  J.  Reeder, Easton. 

R.  L.    Hewitt, Hollidaysburg. 

J.  Duffy, Marietta. 

OHIO. 

John  C.  Fisher, Coshocton. 

John  H.    Klippart, Columbus. 

Robert   Cummings, Toledo. 

MARYLAND. 

T.  B.  Ferguson, Baltimore. 

P.  W.  Downes, Denton. 

IOWA. 

Sam  B.  Evans, Ottumwa 

B.  F.  Shaw Anamosa. 

Charles  A.   Haynes, Waterloo 

MINNESOTA. 

R.  O.  Sweeny St.    Paul. 

Wm.    Golcher, St    Paul. 

Robert  Ormsby, 

WISCONSIN. 

Hon.  Harrison  Ludington, Milwaukee. 

A.    Palmer, Boscobel. 

William  Welch Madison. 

•  P.  R.  Hoy, Racine, 

H.  F.  Dousman, , Waterville, 


ILLINOI 

W.  A.  Pratt 

ARKANSAS> 

N.  H. 

J.  R.  Stulman 7777. 7777. 7Xltfle  Rock. 

N.  B.  Pearce, Fayetteville. 

KENTUCKY. 

Pach,  Thomas, Louisville. 

P.  H.  Darsey, Caldwall  County. 

Pol  k  Laffom, Hopkins  County. 

S.  W.  Coombs, Warren  County. 

C.  J.  Walton, Hart  County. 

James  B.   Casey, Kenton  County. 

John  A.  Steele, Woodford  County. 

J.   H.  Bunce, Garrard  County. 

T.  T.  Garrard, Clay  County. 

W.  C.  Allen Bath  County. 

UTAH  TERRITOY. 

A.  P.   Rockwood, : Salt  Lake  City. 

WEST   VIRGINIA. 

John  W.  Harris Louisberg. 

Henry  B.  Miller, Romney. 

C.  S.  White, Romney. 


CHAPTER  II. 

TROUT    CULTURE. 

GENERAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 

There  are  but  few  salmon  rivers  in  this  country.  This 
may  be  changed  by  the  introduction  of  the  California 
salmon,  which  will  endure  a  higher  temperature  than  the 
trout;  but  at  present  the  only  rivers  which  can  be  said 
to  be  inhabited  by  salmon,  are  those  in  Maine,  Oregon, 
and  California.  The  former  are  pretty  effectually  closed 
with  dams  and  nets,  and  in  the  latter,  fish  culture  is  just 
beginning  to  be  needed.  Properly,  salmon  culture 
should  be  the  heading  of  this  article,  or  should  take  pre- 


20 

cedence  of  trout  culture,  but  for  these  reasons  the  inferior 
fish  is  placed  as  the  title,  although  we  shall  take  up  the 
management  of  the  salmon  first,  as  its  treatment  was 
first  discovered,  and  its  manipulation  is  the  most  compli- 
cated. Under  the  head  of  Salmon,  may  be  included  the 
salmon,  the  trout,  the  salmon-trout,  otherwise  called  lake 
trout,  the  whitefish,  the  grayling,  the  fresh-water  herring 
or  cisco,  and  California  brook  trout,  and  the  California 
salmon.  The  scientific  names  of  these  are,  salmo  solar, 
salmo  fontinalis,  salmo  confinis,  salmo  amethystus,  core- 
gonus  albus,  tfiymallus  s^gnifer,  and  salmo  quinnat 
These  are  all  essentially  alike  in  their  mode  of  culture, 
the  differences  being  so  inconsiderable  that  they  may  be 
disregarded  for  the  present.  We  shall  speak  of  one  for 
the  whole,  only  occasionally  pointing  out  such  individ- 
ualities as  may  be  necessary. 

They  spawn  in  the  autumn  and  winter,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  California  salmon,  which  is  earlier,  and  spawns 
in  summer  and  first  of  autumn,  the  grayling,  a  fish  of 
the  same  race,  which  has  lately  been  found  to  exist  in 
our  country,  and  which  spawns  in  March,  and  the  Cali- 
fornia Brook  trout  which  spawns  in  March  and  April. 

The  salmon  comes  in  from  the  sea  where  he  has  passed 
the  cold  weather,  as  soon  as  the  ice  breaks  up,  and  keeps 
on  all  summer  long  running  up  into  the  fresh  water;  which 
alone,  is  adapted  to  the  fructification  of  his  eggs.  Trout 
in  like  manner,  pass  from  the  ponds  and  deep  lakes  into 
the  cooler  streams,  where  a  constant  supply  of  fresh  and 
lively  water  can  be  obtained  ;  whitefish  appear  from  the 
depths  of  the  great  lakes  and  seeking  the  shallows  along 
shore,  select Jgravelly  and  rocky  reefs  and  springy  spots  to 
lay  their  eggs. 

Salmon  and  trout  make  nests,  the  females  digging  out 
the  bottom  and  fanning  away  with  their  fins  and  tails 


81 

the  mud  and  finer  sand  from  the  gravel  which  they  after- 
wards use  to  cover  their  eggs,  and  preparing  a  regular 
inchoate  city  of  fish  fry.  When  these  operations  are 
sufficiently  advanced,  the  male  who  has  been  chosen  by 
what  Darwin  curiously  styles  "  natural  selection,"  that  is, 
a  most  bitter  battle  against  all  comers  for  the  lady  in 
"orange  silk  or  silver  lawn,"  who  falls  a  prize  to  the 
strongest,  joins  his  bride.  They  simultaneously  and  with 
one  mutual  impulse  of  amatory  passion  deposit  the  eggs 
of  the  female  and  milt  of  the  male.  Only  a  certain  num- 
ber of  these  are  extruded  at  a  single  impulse,  and  are 
then  carefully  covered  over  with  gravel  by  the  female, 
while  the  male  divides  his  time  between  driving  away 
intruders  of  his  own  sex,  who  would  usurp  his  prerog- 
atives and  devouring  such  stray  eggs  as  may  have  escaped 
the  notice  of  his  devoted  wife,  and  been  carried  down 
stream  by  the  current.  One  noticeable  peculiarity  of  the 
spawn  of  this  class  of  fish  is,  that  the  moment  it  falls  from 
the  parent  it  adheres  to  whatever  it  touches.  This  is  a 
provision  of  nature  to  enable  the  parent  to  cover  it  over 
with  gravel  before  it  is  washed  away,  which  she  does 
with  remarkable  skill  and  care,  moving  the  stones  with 
her  ventral  fins  and  tail  for  'that  purpose.  It  remains 
fast  for  the  space  of  thirty  minutes  or  so,  and  then  becomes 
loose  and  is  swept  away  by  the  current,  a  dainty  morsel 
for  whatever  bird  or  fish  or  insect  that  comes  across  it. 
It  is  also  to  be  observed  that  the  eggs  are  heavy  and  sink 
to  the  bottom  like' shot;  a  marked  peculiarity  of  the 
spawn  of  the  salmonidae,  and  distinguishing  them  from 
those  of  other  varieties. 

Several  different  deposits  of  spawn  are  made  and  cover- 
ed up  in  this  way  till  often  quite  a  mound  of  fish  eggs 
and  gravel  is  erected.  Such  mounds  built  by  the  famous 
trout  of  Rangeley  and  her  sister  lakes  are  large  enough 


22 

to  fill  a  two  bushel  basket.  The  operation  of  emitting 
the  eggs  is  not  all  done  at  one  time  or  on  one  day,  it 
occupies  several  days,  as  will  be  more  fully  explained 
hereafter.  As  soon  as  the  nest  is  completed,  and  the 
father  and  mother  are  exhausted  of  spawn  and  milt,  they 
drop  back  worn  out  and  weakly  to  the  deeper  water  or 
the  ocean,  to  recuperate.  The  eggs  are  left  to  themselves 
unprotected,  except  lor  their  gravelly  covering,  and  a 
prey  to  every  passing  spoiler..  They  were  intended  to 
be  mainly  destroyed,  and  that  intention  is  effectually 
carried  out. 

A  similar  over  -supply  or  wastefulness  of  nature  is 
visible  in  all  its  departments.  Seeds  of  plants  and  trees 
are  produced  by  millions  to  perish  by  millions,  leaving 
only  a  few  to  fructify.  Of  these  few  even,  but  a  small 
per  centage  lives  and  reaches  maturity.  Who  has  not 
noticed  the  innumerable  seeds  falling  from  the  trees  in 
early  autumn,  has  not  seen  them  driven  about  by  the 
wind,  swept  into  rows  one  on  the  other,  carried  into  the 
water,  crowded  into  holes  and  covered  up  by  leaves. 
Next  year  out  of  the  countless  multitudes,  some  hundreds 
start  into  life,  but  they  are  by  the  way  side  or  on  stony 
ground,  or  amid  weeds,  or  under  the  shade  of  stronger 
plants.  The  sun  burns  some,  the  shade  kills  others,  the 
ground  starves  still  more,  the  ranker  growth  destroys  its 
share,  and  so  they  perish  miserably,  the  exception  being 
if  a  single  one  survives.  We  can  partly  guess  why  this 
superfluity  exists,  we  can  connect  it  in  a  measure  with 
man's  exactions  and  neccessities. 

Enemies  offish  life  are  numerous.  First,  and  most  to 
be  dreaded  in  waters  where  they  exist,  are  the  eels. 
These  are  most  difficult  to  exclude  from  the  troughs  and 
ponds.  They  devour  eggs  or  young  with  equal  voracity. 
Seven  young  trout  have  been  taken  from  an  eel  six  inch- 


23 

es  long  and  no  thicker  than  a  fine  knitting  needle  ;  they 
grow  as  they  eat,  hiding  most  cunningly  in  the  sand  or 
gravel  from  human  eye,  and  making  their  way  through 
narrow  passages  and  small  holes  that  a  person  woald  not 
suspect  them  of  being  able  to  enter.  One  half  grown 
eel  will  destroy  an  unlimited  number  of  trout  fry  or  eggs. 
Ducks  are  equally  destructive,  thrusting  their  long  bills 
down  into  the  nests  of  spawn,  or  seizing  and  swallowing 
the  young  ;  frogs,  mice,  rats,  fish,  many  birds,  and 
animals,  and  the  larvae  of  beetles  and  devil's  darning- 
needles,  and  other  water  flies  before  they  have  developed 
into  the  perfect  insects  do  their  share  ©f  damage.  Most 
water  creatures  love  fish  spawn  as  most  human  creatures 
admire  omelettes. 

Unpromising  as  all  this  is,  however,  for  a  good  crop  of 
trout  in  the  natural  way,  it  is  only  the  beginning  of  the 
trouble.  The  danger  of  disease  or  physical  injury  is  al- 
ways present.  Heavy  rains  come  and  foul  the  water ;  when 
this  settles  the  silt  or  sediment  covers  the  whole  batch  of 
eggs,  and  smothers  the  life  out  of  them.  Conferva  makqs 
its  appearanqe  and  soon  spreads  from  one  to  another  kill- 
ing all  it  touches,  and  seems  to  be  contagious,  as  a  single 
dead  eggj  will  affect  all  those  which  are  near  it 
till  the  infection  spreads  through  the  entire  heap. 
Accident  or  a  great  flood  may  even  disturb  the 
whole  and  leave  the  displaced  eggs  to  perish  mis- 
erably wherever  they  may  be  carried  by  the  water. 
Amid  such  vicissitudes  the  wonder  is  not  that  so  many 
perish  but  that  any  survive,  and  the  need  of  na- 
ture's superfluity  is  thus  made  manifest.  Exposed  to  all 
these  dangers  the  eggs  of  the  salmonidce  must  remain  in 
their  natural  defencelessness  for  from  two  to  five  months, 
according  to  the  temperature  of  the  water.  A  very  large 
percentage  fail  to  become  impregnated,  the  current  of 


24 

water  probably  washing  away  the  milt  of  the  male  before 
the  sperms  could  enter  the  eggs.  Mr.  Livingston  Stone 
says  that  in  digging  up  some  spawn  of  the  California 
salmon,  deposited  by  the  parents  in  the  natural  manner, 
in  the  McCloud  river,  he  found  only  eight  per  cent, 
vitalized^ 

When  the  little  embryo  ot  piscatory  life  has  manfully 
braved  these  perils  and  has  escaped  from  his  shell,  he  is 
still  by  no  means  through  his  troubles.  In  the  first  place, 
his  physical  conformation  is  much  against  him  ;  he  is 
encumbered  by  a  belly  which  would  do  credit  to  any 
alderman.  In  fact,  the  belly  is  the  larger  part  of  him, 
and,  unlike  that  of  his  political  prototype  this  impedi- 
ment does  not  represent  so  many  fat  capons  and  good 
dinners  which  have  been  duly  eaten  and  enjoyed,  but 
represents  a  certain  number  of  dinners  for  the  future. 
For  almost  thirty  days  after  birth  the  salmon  or  trout 
eats  nothing  but  is  sustained  by  the  absorption  of  this 
stomach  or  what  is  more  accurately  termed  the  umbili- 
cal sac.  All  this  while  as  may  be  readily  understood, 
he  is  awkward  and  hampered  in  his  movements,  an  easy 
prey  to  any  hungry  enemy.  Appreciating  *  his  position 
he  strives  to  hide  himself  during  this  period  ;  he  crawls 
into  holes  and  under  stones,  and  often  hides  so  effect- 
ually that  when  he  has  been  artificially  hatched  his 
anxious  foster  father  the  breeder,  never  discovers  what 
has  became  of  him  unless  his  breeding  troughs  are  well 
made  and  free  from  worm  holes.  But  in  this,  his  hour 
of  weakness  his  enemies  never  desert  him,  they  stand 
by  him  from  first  to  last.  At  that  stage  of  his  develop- 
ment every  miserable  shiner,  dace  and  minnow  is  his 
master,  a  very  great  despair  by  comparison  with  his 
feebleness.  Cruelly  is  the  superiority  exercised,  for 
mercy  does  not  exist  in  the  watery  kingdom.  The  pre- 


25 

daceous  insects  are  also  on  the  alert  doubly  gratified  at 
his  increased  size,  and  epidemics  attack  him  more 
severely  than  ever,  and  sweep  away  thousands. 

These  are  the  perils  which  surround  our  coming  fish 
on  his  way  to  development.  In  the  natural  method 
they  all  have  full  scope  and  free  exercise.  Is  it  aston- 
ishing then  that  not  more  than  one  in  a  thousand  ever 
reach  a  marketable  size  or  attain  the  dignity  of  itself 
being  a  lather  or  mother  ?  Moreover,  at  this  point  man 
steps  in  to  help  along  the  ruinous  process.  He  has  no 
use  for  the  minnows,  nor  the  merciless  insects,  nor  the 
many  worthless  varieties  of  creatures  which  play  such 
havoc,  but  he  takes  the  best  the  water  affords.  The 
magnificent  salmon  in  all  the  silvery  glories  of  the  sea, 
amid  whose  caves  of  coral  and  pearl  he  has  been  gather- 
ing size  and  splendor;  or  the  soft  skinned  trout,  as 
delicate  of  color  as  the  finest  tints  of  the  artist's  brush, 
and  as  soft  to  the  touch  as  the  finest  velvet ;  or  the 
monster  salmo  amethystus,  the  Mackinaw  salmon  of 
Lake  Superior ;  or  the  white  fish,  whose  silvery  scales 
shine  like  burnished  silver.  Man  takes  the  best  and  so 
upsets  the  equipoise  of  nature,  which  up  to  that  time 
had  by  its  checks  and  balances  kept  all  varieties  of  liv- 
ing creatures  at  an  established  relative  proportion.  For 
every  salmon  he  eats  there  are  ten  thousand  fewer 
eggs  for  the  water  bugs  and  the  minnows  who  will  make 
up  the  loss  out  of  those  which  are  left.  These  embodi- 
ments of  evil  must  be  fed  and  grow  mo're  diligent  in 
the  search  for  food,  the  scarcer  it  becomes,  still  man 
keeps  on  with  net,  and  spear,  and  hook,  making  yearly 
larger  drafts  as  the  human  race  increases  and  extending 
his  machinery  as  the  prey  diminishes ;  so  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  nature  is  disarranged.  The  edible  fishes  at  first 
diminish,  then,  as  the  process  goes  on  in  geometrical 


26 

ratio  they  decrease  more  rapidly,  and  the  operation  be- 
comes accelerated  at  every  step,  till  the  stream  or  lake 
which  once  abounded  with  excellent  fish  is  utterly,  and 
absolutely  denuded  and  left  sterile,  bare  and  unpro- 
ductive. The  insects  have  devoured  the  last  edible  fish 
which  map's  greediness  had  failed  to  reach.  This  has 
happened  with  so  many  of  the  ponds  and  water  courses 
of  our  country  that  it  is  safe  to  say,  fully  one-half  of  the 
lakes,  rivers  and  streams  throughout  the  older  states,  at 
least,  yield  nothing  of  food  for  man. 

Such  a  result  is  no  trivial  injury  to  the  community. 
The  vast  extent  of  these  sketches  of  water  are  but  little 
understood  by  the  people  at  large.  There  are  in  the 
State  of  New  York  alone  647  lakes,  with  an  area  of 
466.457  acres,  besides  countless  smaller  ponds,  and  miles 
of  river  and  stream.  Fully  a  quarter  of  a  million  of 
acres  of  the  public  patrimony  are  thus  allowed  to  go  to 
ruin  and  decay  for  the  want  of  proper  knowledge  and  a 
little  care.  It  would  have  been  easy  to  have  protected 
them  ;  it  is  a  far  more  serious  matter  to  restore  their 
ancient  productiveness. 

The  sea  fisheries  are  scarcely  better  off.  Professor 
Spencer  F.  Baird,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  was 
appointed,  under  a  law  of  Congress,  Commissioner  to 
examine  into  the  condition  of  the  National  fisheries  and 
the  cause  of  the  diminution  of  their  yield.  The  fact  of 
"  diminution  "  is  the  present  point  on  which  Professor 
Baird  says,  h"is  observations  having  been  made  on  the 
Coast  of  New  England  :  "  The  evidence  of  the  most 
deplorable  decrease  in  the  supply  of  fish  is  only  too 
clear ;  and  so  greatly  and  rapidly  has  this  occurred,  that 
fishing  stations  which  in  1860  produced  thousands  of 
fish,  now  furnish  only  hundreds,  or  at  that  ratio,  giving 
a  diminution  of  quite  nine-tenths  and  often  more." 


27 

Before  leaving  this  branch  of  onr  subject,  it  is  well  to 
consider  the  geographical  distribution  of  trout  dependent 
as  this  is  upon  the  character  of  the  water  in  different 
sections  of  the  country. 

Trout  are  found  in  all  rivers  in  which  salmon  can  hatch 
their  young,  but  as  they  are  not  necessarily  migratory, 
they  often  dwell  where  salmon  cannot.  Trout  require  a 
temperature  of  water  never  exceeding  70°.  At  68°  they 
begin  to  suffer  ;  at  70°,  unless  there  is  a  strong  and  broken 
current  to  give  life  to  the  water,  they  die  rapidly,  and 
not  one  will  survive  a  temperature  of  75°.  It  is  simply 
manifest  then  that  the  Southern  and  Western  rivers  are 
not  generally  inhabitable  for  trout  or  salmon.  Trout 
may  be  found  in  the  head  waters  of  such  as  rise  in  the 
Alleghany  range  of  mountains,  but  salmon  can  exist  in 
none  of  them.  So  also  with  sluggish,  muddy  rivers  of 
Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Missouri,  and  the  vast  central 
region  of  our  continent.  Throughout  the  entire  section 
between  the  Alleghanies  and  Lake  Superior  and  the 
Northern  Mississippi,  except  in  Northern  Michigan,  no 
trout  are  found,  and  then  again  not  till  you  come  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  Trout  and  salmon,  except  in  the  matter 
of  migration,  are  similar  in  their  habits.  The  eggs  of 
either  may  be  hatched  in  the  same  boxes,  with  the  same 
water,  in  about  the  same  time,  and  under  the  same  treat- 
ment. This  is  being  done  to-day  by  the  New  York 
Commissioners  of  Fisheries  at  the  State  Hatching  House 
at  Caledonia.  There  are  trout,  salmo  fontinalis,  salmon 
salmo  salar,  and  lake  trout  salmo- confinis,  all  being 
hatched  side  by  side  in  the  same  building,  in  identical 
troughs  and  with  the  same  water. 

When  we  speak  ot  the  temperature  of  a  pond  or  river, 
allowance  must  be  made  for  springs  to  which  fish  will 
have  recourse,  precisely  as  men  perishing  in  a  room  for 


28 

air,  would  put  their  mouths  to  a  knot-hole  to  breathe. 
If  there  are  springs  enough,  trout  will  live  in  waters  the 
body  of  which  reaches  a  higher  temperature  than  seventy- 
five.  So  also,  a  strong  rush  of  water  as  with  a  cataract 
or  rapids, will  enable  them  to  endure  greater  heat  than  they 
could  otherwise  stand.  Still  it  is  not  safe  to  subject  any 
of  the  eastern  salmon  or  trout  family  to  a  permanent 
temperature  higher  than  65°.  Salmon  trout  suffer  most 
and  die  the  first,  at  least  when  they  are  confined  in  a 
limited  space  with  a  small  flow  of  water. 

The  first  point  in  fish  culture  is  to  obtain  the  spawning 
fish  in  proper  condition,  for  if  the  eggs  are  not  mature  or 
ripe,  as  it  is  usually  called,  not  only  are  they  useless,  but 
the  effort  to  extract  them  will  kill  the  parent.  Fish 
breeders  who  make  the  cultivation  of  trout  a  business, 
and  there  are  many  in  this  country,  keep  on  hand  in  suit- 
able ponds  a  supply  of  large  fish.  These  are  taken  from 
the  rivers  which  they  are  ascending  to  spawn,  and  are 
kept  over  from  year  to  year.  Connected  with  the  ponds 
in  which  they  are  confined,  is  a  race  way,  or  long  narrow 
trough  which  has  a  gravelled  bottom,  is  covered  with 
boards  to  exclude  intrusive  eyes,  and  in  every  way  is 
made  as  attractive  a  nesting  spot  to  the  fish  as  possible. 
Into  this  they  will  proceed  of  themselves  when  they  are 
ready  to  perform  their  allotted  act  of  reproduction,  and 
the  breeder  awaiting  his  opportunity,  places  a  net  at  the 
mouth  of  the  race  and  frightening  them  in,  selects  such 
as  are  ready  for  manipulation. 

When  in  a  perfectly  ripe  condition,  the  eggs  lie  free  in 
the  ovaries  in  the  abdomen,  and  may  be  extruded  by  a 
gentle  pressure  downward  along  the  sides  of  the  fish, 
They  are  caught  in  a  basin  and  are  vitalized  by  coming 
in  contact  with  the  milt  from  the  males,  for  the  fish  male 
and  female  are  stripped  indiscriminately  into  one  common 


29 

receptacle.  Formerly,  the  practice  obtained  of  having 
this  basin  full  of  water,  under  the  idea  that  such  arrange- 
ment more  nearly  reproduced  the  natural  conditions,  but 
subsequent  discoveries  led  to  a  change  of  this  method. 
The  ova  are  fertilized  by'the^spermatozoa  of  the  milt 
entering  through  the  micropyle  and  taking^up  board  and 
lodging  within. 

It  was  ascertained  however,  in  practice,  that  these 
spermatozoa,  little  tadpoles  as  they  appear  to  be  under 
the  microscope,  were  not  fond  of  water,  and  although 
very  active  when  first  emitted,  soon  perished  in  the  water. 
They  retained  their  vitality  much  longer  when  dropped 
among  the  ova  in  a  comparatively  dry  state,  and  this  is 
the  method  universally  pursued  at  present.  The  result 
of  the  change  was  very  great;  on  the  earlier  plan  not 
more  than  one  egg  in  three  or  four  was  vitalized,  where- 
as now,  fully  ninety  eight  per  cent,  are  made  capable  of 
producing  young  as  we  have  already  mentioned^  and  as 
will  be  more  fully  explained  hereafter  when  we  come  to 
special  and  particular  directions  for  each  part  of  the 
process. 

The  eggs  mature  in  comparative  safety.  Some  die,  of 
course,  others  were  never  properly  impregnated,  but  the 
percentage  is  small,  not  more  than  five  or  ten  per  cent, 
of  the  whole.  In  the  natural  method  probably  not  one 
in  five  hundred,  certainly  not  one  in  a  hundred  survives 
to  mature  and  produce  a  perfect  fish.  By  the  artificial 
plan,  and  at  the  lowest  calculation,  fully  ninety  in  every 
hundred  are  saved  and  developed.  Here  is  the  great 
gain  in  fish  culture.  It  is  in  the  primary  stages  that  the 
advantage  is  secured.  Say  that  afterwards  the  perils  are 
alike  and  still  see  the  enormous  difference  in  its  favor. 
Allow  that  young  fish  after  their  birth  are  in  continued 
peril  ot  their  lives  ;  that  enemies  still  pursue  and  waylay, 


30 

no  matter  how  they  are  bred;  suppose  that  one-half  of 
all  that  are  born  perish  before  attaining  a  marketable 
condition.  In  one  case  thai  half  has  to  be  taken  from  a 
supply  already  decimated,  in  the  other  nearly  the  full 
number  is  to  be  drawn  upon.  Often  thousand  eggs  de- 
posited in  the  natural  method,  only  twenty  or  thirty 
hatch,  one-half  of  these  would  give  us  but  ten  or  fifteen 
full  grown  salmon,  whereas  with  the  care  of  man  nine 
thousand  can  be  hatched,  and  it  one-half  perish  we 
should  have  remaining  four  thousand  five  hundred,  a 
difference  so  great  as  to  be  almost  incredible,  yet  these 
results  are  obtained  with  reasonable  certainty  by  trained 
fish  culturists  who  understand  their  business. 


CHAPTER  III. 
TROUT    PONDS. 

LOCATION. — It  is  very  easy  with  good  spring  water  to 
raise  'dfew  trout  anywhere  in  temperate  latitudes.  But 
to  raise  a  large  number  requires  care  in  the  selection  of 
a  location.  Plenty  of  pure  spring  water  is  the  first  and 
most  essential  requisite.  The  spring,  or  one  of  the 
springs,  if  there  are  several,  should  have  a  fall  of  two  or 
three  feet,  and  a  fall  of  five  to  ten  feet  of  the  whole  vol- 
ume of  water  is  decidedly  advantageous.  If  the  supply 
of  water  is  very  large,  it  diminishes  the  necessity  of  a 
fall.  The  water  from  a  spring  remains  (near  its  source) 
at  nearly  the  same  temperature  during  the  whole  year, 
and  is  the  best  for  Trout  raising.  The  water  from  a 
brook  which  does  not  rise  higher  than  sixty  five  degrees 
in  summer,  may  be  used  to  supply  ponds  for  adult  Trout ; 
but  spring  water  is  not  absolutely  necessary  for  hatching 
purposes.  It  is  not  a  good  plan  to  dam  up  a  stream  which 


31 

varies  in  volume,  and  so  make  ponds.  There  should  be 
enough  level  land  by  the  side  of  such  a  stream  to  make 
ponds  supplied  by  the  stream ;  and  it  is  best  to 
have  a  stream  much  greater  in  volume  than  is  necessary 
for  the  ponds,  so  that  there  will  always  be  a  good  supply 
of  water,  and  there  will  be  no  trouble  with  the  surplus 
water  after  a  freshet.  A  good  knowledge  of  the  whole 
system  of  Trout  Cultute  is  essential  in  choosing  the  very 
best  location.  It  is  desirable  to  have  your  ponds  near 
your  house,  or  have  a  man  in  charge  living  at  the  ponds. 
Of  course  your  Trout  may  never  be  molested ,  but  u  an 
ounce  of  prevention  is  worth  a  pound  of  cure." 

LAYING  OUT  PONDS. — The  diagram  represents  a  series 
of  ponds,  in  all  of  which  the  same  water  is  used.  This 
plan  is  generally  considered  the  best,  for  several  reasons. 
It  economizes  the  water  and  space,  and  is  most  conven- 
ient for  changing  the  fish  from  one  pond  to  another.  It 
is  not  necessary  that  the  ponds  should  be  in  a  straight 
line.  Where  the  location  demands  it  they  may  be  turn- 
ed so  as  to  lie  in  a  direction  nearly  or  quite  parallel  with 
one  another.  This  is  easily  done  by  bending  the  race- 
ways, and  lengthening  them  if  necessary,  only  a  curved 
raceway  is  sometimes  not  so  convenient  as  if  it  were 
straight.  The  sides  of  the  ponds  may  be  walled  up  with 
stones,  laid  without  mortar,  unless  the  soil  is  very  sandy. 
Wood  may  be  bettei  for  the  sides  and  bottoms,  but  we 
are  inclined  to  think  is  not  worth  its  expense.  If  the 
sides  of  the  ponds  are  laid  up  with  rnortar,  let  it  dry 
thoroughly  before  letting  the  water  in  ;  then  let  the  wa- 
ter run  through  it  two  or  three  weeks,  or  long  enough 
to  purify  the  pond  before  putting  any  fish  in  it.  It  is 
as  well  to  test  it  by  putting  in  only  a  few  fish  at  first ;  if 
the  pond  is  not  thoroughly  purified  the  fish  in  it  will 
turn  blind.  Ponds  should  not  be  built  where  much  sur- 


32 

face  drainage  will  run  into  them  ;  if  they  are  so  exposed 
the  surface  water  should  be  carried  off  by  a  ditch  around 
them.  The  Second  and  Third  Ponds  should  receive 
an  additional  supply  of  water.  The  reason  lor  this  will 
be  given  further  on.  A  general  idea  of  the  form  and 
size  of  ponds  can  be  gathered  from  the  diagram  without 
further  explanation.  If  the  supply  of  water  is  small,  it 
is  best  to  have  as  much  fall  between  the  ponds  as  the 
nature  of  the  ground  will  allow.  This  tall  aerates  the 
water  and  makes  it  as  good  as  new. 

SHAPE  OF  PONDS. — Where  the  supply  of  water  is 
large  it  matters  very  little  about  the  shape  of  the  ponds. 
The  best  shape  we  believe  to  be  the  pear-shape,  figured 
in  the  plate ;  such  a  shape  combining  an  equable  flow  of 
water  in  all  directions  and  the  greatest  amount  of  sur- 
face, with  the  least  difference  in  the  temperature  of  the 
water.  If  the  nature  of  the  ground  demands  other 
shapes,  the  ponds  should  be  made  long,  narrow  and 
deep,  rather  than  broad  and  shallow.  The  depth  of  the 
pond  is  indicated  in  the  plate,  and  will  answer  for  any 
size  uf  ponds.  It  is  better  for  any  one  wishing  to  raise 
a  large  number  of  fish,  to  have  several  series  of  ponds, 
than  to  attempt  raising  a  larger  number  by  increasing 
the  size  of  the  ponds.  Fish  do  not  feed  so  well  in  large 
ponds,  are  not  so  easily  taken  care  of,  and  eat  each  other 
more. 

RACEWAYS. — The  Second  and  Third  ponds  should  have 
a  long,  narrow  raceway  where  the  water  enters — about 
thirty  or  forty  feet  long,  four  feet  wide  and  six  inches 
deep.  The  sides  of  the  raceway  should  be  made  of  one 
and  a  half  inch  plank,  one  foot  in  width.  This  will 
answer  for  both  natural  and  artificial  impregnation.  The 
raceway  is  required  not  only  for  the  purpose  of  spawn- 
ing, but  as  a  resort  for  the  fish  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 


1ST  POND    SO-  € 
-—DEPTH  Z  n 
.SCREEN    8.  FALL  OF  2TJ 


DEPTH    6  /H 


Spring  running 
8  or  10  gallons 
per  minute. 


---DEPTH    *    FT 
SCREEN    &   ^ALL    OF  2  f 


SPAWN WC      RACE 
tfOFI    LONG 


DEPTH 


34 

Fish  will  go  into  this  shallow  graveled  race,  into  the 
quick  running  water,  to  free  themselves  from  the  para- 
sites which  often  trouble  them  ;  or  they  will  go  there  if 
they  are  out  of  health  and  condition  from  any  cause. 
This  raceway  must  be  filled  with  coarse  gravel,  and  the 
bottom  of  the  pond  made  to  slope  gently  up  to  the  race- 
way. 

The  head  of  the  raceway  is  to  be  carefully  looked 
after.  If  a  series  of  ponds  are  made,  then  the  screens 
between  will  keep  the  fish  from  running  from  one  to  the 
other;  but  if  single  ponds  are  used,  each  supplied  with 
separate  water  from  a  stream,  then  much  attention  must 
be  paid  to  the  screens  where  the  water  enters.  It  would 
be  well  if  the  water  was  brought  into  the  pond  through 
a  long  box,  as  the  water  will  very  soon  work  around  or 
under  a  short  box,  and  allow  the  fish  to  escape.  If  the 
water  enters  with  a  fall,  it  may  be  allowed  to  pour  over 
upon  an  apron,  constructed  of  thin  slats,  one-half  or  one- 
quarter  of  an  inch  apart,  and  set  edgeways.  This  will 
let  the  water  through  and  keep  the  fish  from  running  up. 
Trout  will  run  up  stream  very  freely,  working  their  way 
through  a  small  passage,  but  will  not  try  much  to  run 
down  stream. 

WILD  RACEWAY. — If  the  ponds  are  connected  with  a 
stream  in  which  there  are  trout,  it  is  desirable  if  possi- 
ble to  make  a  raceway  below  the  lowest  dam  and  con- 
nect it  with  the  stream,  so  that  wild  fish  may  use  it.  In 
this  way  a  great  many  trout  will  be  taken  in  a  ripe 
condition  that  would  otherwise  spawn  in  some  other 
part  of  the  stream  and  be  lost.  The  wild  raceway  has 
the  advantage  not  merely  of  utilizing  fish  that  have  not 
cost  any  expense  to  keep,  but  of  adding  to  the  number 
of  spawners  for  the  following  year  by  the  addition  of 
those  that  are  thus  captured. 


35 

BOTTOM  OF  PONDS. — It  matters  very  little  of  what  ma- 
terial the  bottom  is  composed.  Anything — mud,  clay  or 
moss  is  good,  except  gravel,  and  this  is  bad,  not  from 
the  nature  of  the  substance,  but  because  the  fish 
will  spawn  on  it  and  the  eggs  be  lost.  Sometimes 
a  person  will  wish  to  construct  a  pond  in  a  place  where 
there  are  springs,  or  to  dam  up  the  water  and  make  a 
pond  in  a  springy  place.  Under  such  circumstances  it  is 
a  good  plan  to  fill  the  bottom  entirely  with  gravel,  as  the 
fish  would  spawn  there  in  any  case.  For  such  a  pond 
make  the  borders  very  shallow,  so  that  the  little  fish 
may  run  up  into  the  shallow  water  and  escape  from  the 
large  fish ;  or  have  the  pond  so  arranged  that  after  the 
fish  have  spawned  they  may  be  removed.  Thus  the 
eggs  will  hatch  out  and  the  little  ones  grow  without  dan- 
ger. When  the  next  season  of  spawning  comes  the  lit- 
tle fish  ma}  be  removed  into  another  pond  and  the  old 
ones  let  in  again  to  spawn.  Such  a  pond  is  good  for 
any  one  wishing  his  establishment  to  run  itself,  as  with 
a  little  care  he  can  raise  many  fish  in  it  without  much 
trouble.  But  the  gravel  must  not  be  smaller  than  a 
hickorynut,  and  from  that  to  the  size  of  a  butternut. 

Very  often  the  bottom  of  a  pond  is  porous  and  absorbs 
the  water  as  fast  as  it  runs  in,  so  that  there  is  hardly  any 
running  from  the  proper  outlet.  If  you  are  short  of 
water  and  wish  to  use  all  you  can  get  tor  another  pond, 
it  is  best  to  cement  the  bottom.  If  you  have  no  further 
use  for  the  water,  it  makes  no  difference  how  it  goes  off, 
that  is  if  there  are  no  holes  in  the  bottom  large  enough 
to  let  the  fish  escape,  and  the  water  keeps  up  to  its  pro- 
per level.  Weeds  or  mosses  of  any  sort  are  not  necessary 
at  the  bottom,  and  if  the  supply  of  water  is  not  large 
they  will  speedily  become  a  nuisance.  The  quantity  of 
Trout  food  which  they  produce  is  of  no  account  in  an 


36 

artificial  pond  where  large  numbers  of  Trout  are  kept, 
and  they  tend  to  foul  the  water  by  hiding  dead  fish  and 
bits  of  meat.  It  is  best,  it  possible,  to  have  ponds  so  ar- 
ranged that  they  can  be  entirely  drained.  This  is  neces- 
sary, sometimes,  for  cleaning  or  repairing  them,  and 
changing  the  fish  from  one  pond  to  another.  If  the  slope 
of  the  ground  is  sufficient  to  permit  of  such  an  arrange- 
ment, it  will  often  save  much  labor  in  pumping  or  bail- 
ing. The  drain  pipe  may  be  of  pump  logs,  tile  or  pipe 
of  any  kind,  and  should  be  fixed  in  the  lowest  part  of  the 
bottom,  or  as  near  it  as  the  level  of  the  ground  will  al- 
low. Still  better  would  be  a  regular  flume  reaching 
from  the  bottom  of  the  pond  to  the  top.  A  bulkhead 
may  be  put  in  to  raise  the  water  as  high  as  may  be  re- 
quired, and  a  wire  screen  the  whole  size  of  the  flume  set 
a  short  distance  in  front  of  the  bulkhead.  This  large 
screen  has  an  additional  advantage,  as  the  larger  the  screen 
the  less  liable  it  is  to  clog  up  with  leaves  and  moss,  and 
the  greater  will  be  the  volume  of  water  passing  through 
it. 

SCREENS. — Screens  may  be  made  of  common  wire 
painted  with  tar — as  will  be  described  hereafter — of  cop- 
per wire,  or  of  galvanized  iron  wire.  The  last  is  the 
best,  as  it  will  last  longest  in  proportion  to  its  cost. 
The  screens  for  keeping  the  small  fry  should  be  of  four- 
teen threads  to  the  inch,  and  for  one  year  old  fish  five  or 
six  threads  to  the  inch.  Incline  the  screens  at  an  angle 
of  forty-five  degrees,  the  top  being  farthest  down  stream. 
By  inclining  the  screens  in  this  manner  a  greater  surface 
is  exposed  to  the  water  than  if  they  were  placed  perpen- 
dicularly. The  sockets  should  be  so  made  that  the 
screens  will  fit  tightly  and  yet  be  easily  taken  out  to 
clean. 


37 

A  very  good  screen  for  two  and  three  year  olds  can  be 
made  from  strips  of  lath   planed   and   nailed  to  a  strong 
frame,  with  quarter-inch   openings   between  them.     Or, 
what  is  better,  the  slats  should  be  at  least  four  inches 
wide  so  that  if  a  leaf  strikes  against  them  it  will  catch 
without  obstructing  the  flow  of  water  and  lie  flat  against 
a  single  slat,  or  if  it  reaches  over  the  edge  it  will  be  car- 
ried through  by  the  current  striking  upon  one  end.     It 
cannot  lap  around  the  slat  as  it  would  if  it  were  smaller. 
As  for  the  width  of  the  slats  from  one  another  the  point 
to  be   guarded   against   is   the  fish  running  their  heads 
through  far  enough  to  strike  their  eyes  which  will  pro- 
duce blindness.     The  distance  they  are  to  be  apart  will 
depend  consequently,  mainly  on  the  size  of  the  heads  of 
the  fish,  and  as  fish  grow  at  difterent  rates  of  speed  it 
will  not  do  to  go  merely  by  their  age,  but  for  fair  sized 
fish   an  opening  of  about  five-eights  of    an    inch    will 
answer.     This  refers    to  the  upper  screen,   the  lower 
screen,  that  at  the  foot  of  the  pond,  may  be  larger  as  the 
fish  are  more  cautious  about  descending  where  they  can- 
not see  their  way,  just  as  a  man  will  climb  a  hill  in  the 
dark  at  his  best  speed,  but  will  go  down  very  cautiously. 
WATER  SUPPLY. — It  is  immaterial  what  kind  of  water 
is  used,  whether  hard  or  soft.     Neither   will   so-called 
"  mineral  water  "  hurt  the  trout  unless  the  water  is  very 
stongly  impregnated.     Trout  have  been  known   to  live 
and  thrive  in  a  stream  one-sixth  of  whose  volume  was 
supplied  by  a  strong  sulphur  spring.     The  essentials  are 
that  the  stream  shall  be  reasonably  pure,  the  volume  of 
water   nearly   uniform   or   so   arranged  that  the  supply 
taken  from  it  is    uniform  and  the  temperature  between 
thirty-six  and  sixty-five  degrees. 

One  peculiar  fact  has  been  noticed  in  reference  to  the 
eggs  which  is  important  to  those  persons  who   collect 


38 

eggs  to  impregnate  and  sell.  The  shells  of  those  taken 
from  trout  living  in  limestone  waters  are  found  to  be 
thicker  and  harder  than  those  obtained  from  soft  waters. 
This  may  come  from  the  lime  in  the  water,  and  is  an 
advantage  in  rendering  the  eggs  more  easy  to  transport 
with  safety,  than  where  the  shells  are  very  delicate. 

The  supply  of  water  necessary  for  a  given  number  of 
trout  is  yet  unsettled.  For  a  series  of  ponds  turning 
out  one  thousand  large  fish  yearly,  the  water  supply 
should  fill  a  four  inch  pipe.  This  question  will  be  treated 
more  at  length  hereafter,  but  it  is  always  safe  to  have  as 
much  water  as  possible,  for  within  reasonable  limits  one 
can  hardly  have  too  much — that  is  to  say,  if  the  dams 
and  sluices  are  solid,  and  the  screens  do  not  clog.  It 
must  not  be  forgotten  that  abundance  of  pure  water  is 
as  essential  to  fish  as  abundance  of  pure  air  to  man. 

In  saying  that  ponds  must  not  have  a  gravelly  bot. 
torn,  we  do  not  mean  there  should  be  no  gravel.  The 
trout  must  have  access  either  to  the  raceway  or  some 
other  spot  of  gravel  to  rub  off  parasites.  This  they 
cannot  do  if  the  bottom  is  wholly  of  mud  and  they  are 
excluded  from  the  raceway. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
HATCHING  HOUSE. 

As  a  convenient  illustration  of  a  hatching  house,  we 
will  present  a  view  of  the  State  establishment  at  Caledo- 
nia, as  it  was  in  the  year  1875,  the  subsequent  changes 
not  being  material  to  its  efficiency,  It  is  located  on  the 
stream  where  Mr.  Seth  Green  had  his  original  trout 
hatchery,  and  which  is  probably  the  finest  site  for  the  pur- 
pose in  the  United  States.  The  source  of  Caledonia  brook 


UNIVERSITY 


NEW   YORK   STATE  HATCHING  HOUSE,   AT   CALEDONIA,   N.  Y. 


40 

is  only  about  one  mile  above,  and»consists  of  immense 
springs  which  in  some  instances  sprout  from  the  ground, 
and  in  others  form  large  ponds,  and  by  their  current 
drive  mills.  The  stream  is  almost  a  river  from  its  very 
start  and  is  filled  with  subsidiary  springs  its  entire 
course.  An  estimated  flow  of  six  barrels  per  second 
comes  from" some  of  the  initial  springs,  and  the  temper- 
ature at  the  hatching  house  varies  only  25°,  from  35°  to 
60°,  winter  or  summer.  A  record  of  the  thermometer 
has  been  kept  for  years  during  the  hatching  season  and 
is  found  to  be  restricted  to  a  variation  from  November 
to  March  from  35°  to  45°,  and  stands  ordinarily  about 
30°  ;  the  springs  themselves  remaining  invariably  at  50°. 
There  is  as  little  variation  in  the  volume  as  in  the 
temperature  of  the  water,  as  the  proximity  to  the 
source  prevents  the  effcet  of  freshets  or  drouths.  The 
stream  is  simply  one  huge  spring,  and  was  for  years 
famous  for  the  vast  number  and  excellent  flavor  of  the 
trout  it  contained.  It  abounds  with  the  natural  food  of 
trout,  with  insects,  shrimp  and  larvae  of  water  flies,  and 
in  the  spring  and  even  in  winter  the  surface  is  covered 
with  the  phryganidae  and  ephemeridae  as  they  issue  forth 
in  perfect  form.  The  ground  around  the  house  is  well 
adapted  for  constructing  ponds,  as  there  is  at  this  spot  a 
fall  of  four  feet  or  thereabouts.  The  house  itself  is 
cheaply  constructed  of  hemlock  boards,  and  is  fifty  feet 
long  by  twenty  feet  wide,  and  is  one  and  a  half  stories 
high.  There  is  no  attempt  at  ornament  or  elegance,  and  it 
is  probably  the  plainest  while  the  most  efficient  hatching 
house  in  the  world.  In  it  have  been  hatched  in  one 
season  two  million  and  a  half  of  whitefish,  two  million 
salmon  trout,  and  one  million  and  a  half  of  brook  trout 
together  with  several  hundred  thousand  salmon,  these 
figures  not  being  taken  by  estimate  but  by  actual  count. 


NEW    YORK    STATE   HATCHING   HOUSE — INTERIOR   VIEW. 


42 

The  accompanying  plate  and  ground  plan  will  readily 
show  its  arrangement,  A  A  are  troughs,  forty  feet  long  by 
fourteen  inches  wide  a'nd  six  inches  deep  inside  measure- 
ment. These  troughs  are  raised  about  one  foot  and  a 
half  above  the  floor  for  the  sake  of  convenience  in  attend- 
ing to  the  eggs.  The  .supply  pipe,  D,  sixty  feet  long  and 
six  inches  ^deep,  carries  the  water  from  the  stream  into 
the  building,  where  it  is  received  into  the  feed  pioes, 
CO,  in  which  filters  are  inserted  before  the  faucets  which 
admit  the  water  into  the  troughs,  A  A.  These  troughs 
are  used  now  especially  for  salmon  and  salmon  trout 
eggs.  OO  are  waste-pipes,  by  means  of  which  any  sec 
tion  of  a  trough  can  be  cleaned  without  disturbing  the 
rest.  BB  are  the  Holton  hatching  boxes. 

The  eggs  are  placed  on  trays  made  of  wire  cloth 
stretched  on  wooden  frames.  Each  tray  is  twenty-seven 
inches  long  by  fourteen  inches  wide,  and  will  hold  in  a 
layer,  one  deep,  6,272  salmon  trout  eggs.  Instead  of 
using  only  one  layer  of  these  trays,  it  has  been  the  prac- 
tice for  the  last  four  years  to  use  four  layers  in  the  upper 
sections  and  five  in  the  lower  sections;  making  lor  all 
the  troughs  a  capacity  of  534  trays,  or,  in  round  numbers, 
of  three  and  one-half  millions  of  salmon  trout  eggs. 

With  this  illustration,  we  will  proceed  to  give  general 
direction  for  the  construction  and  management  of  a 
hatching  house. 

SIZE  AND  MAKE. — If  only  a  few  eggs  are  to  be  hatched 
(say  eight  or  ten  thousand)  no  hatching  house  is  necessary. 
The  troughs  may  be  placed  in  the  open  air,  in  any  con- 
venient place,  and  covered  with  a  wire  screen  to  keep  out 
rats,  mice  and  ducks.  A  light  board  cover  must  then  be 
laid  over  them  to  shed  the  rain  and  snow  and  keep  the 
eggs  from  exposure  to  the  sunlight.  A  hatching  house 


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44 

is  much  more  comfortable  to  work  in.  A  stove  may  be 
put  in  it  and  a  fire  started  occasionally  for  warming  one's 
fingers,  but  it  is  not  needed  for  hatching  purposes,  as 
spring  water  in  these  latitudes  is  warm  enough.  The 
house  may  be  constructed  of  rough  boards,or  as  expensive- 
ly as  you  choose,  butcare  should  be  taken  to  have  a  water- 
tight roof,  as  drops  of  water  leaking  through  and  falling 
into  the  troughs  will  kill  the  eggs  underneath.  Its  size 
must  be  regulated  by  the  number  and  extent  of  the 
troughs. 

The  windows  in  a  hatching  house  should  be  few  in 
number  and  provided  with  curtains  or  shutters,  as  the 
sun  shining  upon  the  spawn  will  kill  it.  Not  that  a  few 
minutes  exposure  to  the  rays  of  the  sun  will  hurt  the 
eggs,  but  a  few  hours  exposure  certainly  will.  Perhaps  it 
would  be  well  to  have  the  windows,  if  possible,  made  on 
the  north  side  of  the  hatching  house,  into  which  the  sun 
will  not  shine  in  the  winter  season.  Keep  the  hatching 
house  clean.  In  fact  cleanliness  is  one  of  the  cardinal  vir- 
tues to  the  trout  raiser.  He  should  have  a  clean  house, 
should  work  with  clean  hands,  and  have  all  his  pans, 
spoons  and  utensils  of  every  sort  free  from  grease  and  dirt. 

TROUGHS. — These  should  be  made  of  seasoned  timber, 
one  and  a  half  inches  thick.  They  should  be  six  inches 
deep  and  about  fifteen  inches  wide,  inside  measurement. 
It  would  be  better,  perhaps,  if  the  troughs  were  eight  or 
nine  inches  deep,  because  then  the  water  could  be  raised 
higher  over  the  the  young  trout  after  the>  are  hatched  out. 
The  difficulty  in  making  them  so  deep  is  that  when  the 
sides  of  the  trough  are  made  so  wide  they  are  apt  to  warp 
or  stretch  apart  at  the  top,  and  must  be  stayed  in  some 
way;  for  instance,  by  strips  nailed  across.  But  the  cleaner 
the  trough  is  of  all  strips,  elbows  or  grooves  the  better. 
The  troughs  are  divided  into  squares  or  nests  by  cross 


45 

strips  set  on  the  bottom  at  intervals  of  eighteen  inches. 
The  reason  for  this  division  into  nests  and  for  these  cross 
strips  will  be  seen  further  on.  These  strips  may  be  made 
of  half-inch  stuff  and  cut  two  inches  in  width.  There  is 
no  necessity  for  nailing  them  to  the  bottom  ;  fit  them  in 
accurately  and  set  them  edgeways  at  intervals  of  eighteen 
inches.  As  they  do  not  need  to  be  removed  often,  it  is 
better  to  make  them  fit  tightly.  Other  strips  of  the  same 
stuff  must  be  provided,  to  fit  upon  these  and  made  wide 
enough  to  raise  the  \vater  within  an  inch  of  the  top  of  the 
trough,  as  these  need  to  be  often  moved  they  must  be  made 
loose  enough  to  take  out,  and  yet  fit  accurately  enough  to 
raise  the  water  over  them  when  they  are  put  in.  A  groove 
is  sometimes  made  in  which  to  run  the  strips,  or  shoulders 
nailed  to  the  sides  against  which  to  set  them,  but  it 
interferes  with  the  equable  flow  ot  the  water.  New  wood 
under  the  action  of  water  develops  a  slimy  sap,  therefore 
it  is  necessary  to  paint  the  troughs  with  hot  coal  tar  mixed 
with  enough  turpentine  to  thin  it  to  about  the  consistency 
of  paint.  Glass  has  been  used  to  cover  them,  and  the 
wood  has  been  charred  to  prevent  the  growth  of  lungus, 
but  nothing  answers  so  well  as  gas  tar,  which  should  be 
used  to  cover  every  thing  in  the  troughs  or  ponds,  and 
where  fungus  can  do  harm.  The  troughs  should  have  an 
inclination  of  about  one  inch  in  eight  feet — just  enough 
to  let  the  wa'er  ripple  gently  over  the  cross  strips.  They 
should  not  be  longer  than  twenty  feet,  or  the  air  in  the 
water  will  be  exhausted  before  the  water  reaches  the  end 
of  the  trough.  There  is  more  danger  of  this  after  the 
eggs  are  hatched  out  and  the  troughs  are  full  of  young 
fish.  If  possible  the  hatching  house  should  be  so  far 
below  the  level  of  the  spring  from  which  its  supply  of 
water  is  derived,  as  to  allow  the  troughs  to  be  raised  two 
or  three  feet  from  the  floor.  Where  a  large  number  of 


46 

eggs  are  to  be  hatched,  the  inconvenience  of  stooping  to 
care  for  them  is  very  great. 

WATER  SUPPLY. — From  the  filter  the  water  runs  into 
the  distributing  trough  or  pipe,  which  runs  along  the 
head  of  all  the  hatching  troughs.  The  water  may  be 
let  into  the  hatching  troughs  by  faucets,  or  through 
holes  cut  into  the  trough.  These  holes  should  be  cov- 
ered with  netting,  or  the  young  fish  will  run  up  out  of  the 
troughs  into  the  filter,  or  coarse  gravel  may  be  heaped 
up  at  the  head  of  the  trough  through  which  the  water 
will  run,  but  through  which  the  young  fish  cannot  work 
their  way.  The  supply  of  water  for  one  trough  should  be 
equal  to  that  coming  through  a  three-fourth-inch  hole  with 
three  inches  head ;  just  enough  to  make  a  gentle  ripple" 
over  the  cross-pieces.  Be  careful  to  get  the  troughs 
level  cross  ways,  and  the  strips  true,  so  that  when  the 
water  is  running  it  will  form  an  equal  current  over 
every  part  of  each  strip  along  the  whole  length  of  the 
trough.  If  the  water  runs  unevenly  the  eggs  will  be 
washed  into  a  heap  if  they  are  being  hatched  on  gravel, 
and  many  of  them  spoiled  for  lack  of  proper  circulation 
of  water  around  them.  This  supply  of  water  will  be 
sufficient  until  toe  eggs  are  hatched  out,  when  a  some- 
what larger  supply  can  be  allowed.  The  water  should 
be  brought  directly  from  the  spring  in  a  pipe  of  some 
kind,  in  order  to  preserve  the  proper  temperature  and 
keep  the  water  as  free  from  sediment  as  possible ;  and 
for  the  same'  reason  the  spring  should  be  walled  up  to  its 
smallest  possible  dimensions.  If  any  surface  water  natu- 
rally r"uns  into  the  spring,  a  ditch  should  be  dug  around  the 
spring  to  lead  it  off.  If  the  muddy  surface  water  is 
suffered  to  run  into  the  spring  which  supplies  the 
troughs,  the  screen  will  very  soon  be  choked  up,  and  the 
sediment  will  find  its  way  into  the  troughs  in  spite  of 
all  precautions  and  destroy  the  eggs. 


47 

FILTER. — The  filter  is  a  box  six  feetjong  by  one  and 
a  halt  feet  wide  and  one  and  one-half  feet  deep ;  in 
which  four  or  five  flannel  screens  can  be  placed  through 
which  to  filter  the  water  before  it  passes  into  the  troughs. 
The  coarsest  and  cheapest  red  flannel  is  the  best.  It  will 
rot  and  must  be  renewed  once  or  twice  in  a  season. 
Red  flannel  will  last  twice  as  long  as  any  other.  The 
flannel  should  be  tacked  on  frames  running  in  grooves 
set  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  (the  top  down  stream) 
so  as  to  expose  as  much  surface  as  possible  to  the  water. 
If  the  hatching  house  is  small,  the  filter  may  be  placed 
outside,  but  is  better  under  cover.  If  the  spring  is  well 
protected  the  screens  will  not  need  cleaning  very  fre- 
quently. They  should  be  cleaned  as  soon  as  they  look 
dirty,  however  often  that  may  be,  and  can  be  cleaned 
best  by  being  taken  out  and  washed  with  a  soft  brush. 

A  filter  can  be  made  with  sponges  placed  in  a  box 
with  the  water  introduced  at  the  top  and  brought  out  at 
the  bottom,  provided  there  is  fall  enough.  The  box 
should  be  about  thirty  inches  long  and  twelve  wide,  and 
a  board  perforated  with  holes  should  be  placed  below  the 
sponges,  and  leaving  a  space  between  them  and  the  out- 
let pipe.  This  will  answer  on  a  moderate  scale  where 
only  a  small  amount  of  water  is  used,  and  only  a  few 
hundred  thousand  fish  hatched,  and  the  sponges  will 
remain  clean  for  months.  There  should  be  an  overflow 
pipe  from  the  top  to  make  sure  that  there  is  a  sufficient 
supply  of  water  and  to  carry  ofl  the  surplus. 

Sediment  falling  on  the  egg  keeps  the  water  off  and 
destroys  its  life  as  effectually  as  being  buried  in  the 
giound  would  destroy  a  man's  life.  If  sediment  falls 
upon  the  eggs  it  may  be  removed  by  gently  agitating 
the  eggs  with  a  feather,  or  better  still,  by  creating  a  cur- 
rent in  the  water  with  a  leather,  which  current  the  eggs 


48 

will  follow,  and  as  they  roll  over,  the  sediment  will  drop 
off.  But  the  trout  breeder  has  no  business  to  be  troubled 
in  this  way.  If  his  apparatus  is  rightly  constructed, 
and  his  filter  properly  attended  to,  there  will  not  be 
sediment  enough  in  the  troughs  to  hurt  the  eggs,  from 
the  time  they  are  put  in  until  the  fish  are  hatched  out. 
The  pipe  which  is  let  into  the  spring  should  have  wire 
netting  around  it  where  the  water  conies  in,  to  keep  out 
impurities.  This  netting  should  be  spread  out  so  as  to 
give  a  greater  surface  than  the  mouth  *of  the  pipe.  If 
the  netting  covers  only  the  mouth  of  the  pipe,  every 
speck  of  dirt  which  lodges  on  the  netting  diminishes  by 
so  much  the  supply  of  water ;  but  if  the  surface  of  the 
netting  is  increased,  much  of  it  may  be  stopped  up 
without  lessening  the  supply  of  water.  The  best 
way  is  to  make  a  box,  say  one  foot  square  for  each  inch 
of  diameter  of  the  pipe,  and  run  the  pipe  through  a 
nole  in  the  middle  of  the  board,  fitting  it  well ;  then  fit 
a  screen  of  netting  on  the  front  side  in  grooves  so  that 
it  can  be  taken  out  and  cleaned.  This  should  be  looked 
alter  occasionally,  but  if  the  spring  is  closely  walled  up, 
and  the  netting  placed  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water, 
it  will  not  probably  need  cleaning  through  the  season. 

GRAVEL  FOB  TROUGHS. — The  gravel  for  the  troughs 
should  be  quite  fine — about  the  size  of  peas.  It  is  bet- 
ter to  use  wire  screens  as  will  be  explained  hereafter, 
but  where  only  a  few  eggs  are  to  be  hatched  and  it  is 
important  to  avoid  expensive  preparations,  gravel  will 
answer.  It  was  formerly  used  altogether  but  is  now 
almost  wholly  discarded.  It  is  better  to  have  it  of  a 
unitorm  size.  Any  kind  of  gravel  is  good  which  is  free 
from  iron  rust,  as  that  kills  the  fish.  If  the  gravel  is  of 
some  dark  tint,  the  dead  eggs,  which  turn  milk  white, 
will  show  very  plainly  upon  it,  and  may  easily  be  picked 


49 

out.  The  gravel  should  be  well  washed  before  use,  and 
we  would  even  recommend  boiling  it,  to  destroy  any 
eggs  of  insects  which  may  be  adhering  to  it.  After  the 
nests  are  prepared  the  gravel  may  be  put  in,  one  and 
one-half  inches  deep,  which  will  bring  it  within  one-half 
inch  of  the  top  of  the  cross-piece. 

IMPLEMENTS. — The  implements  of  the  fish-culturist  are 
few  and  simple.  A  few  feathers  may  be  kept  on  hand  to 
use  in  spreading  the  eggs  when  placing  them  in  the 
troughs,  in  collecting  them  for  packing,  and  moving  them 
in  the  search  after  dead  eggs.  Several  plans  are  in  use 
for  removing  dead  eggs  from  the  trough.  Some  use  a 
siphon  to  draw  them  up  ;  others  bend  wire  into  the  shape 
of  a  small  spoon,  or  bend  an  eye  upon  the  wire  just  large 
enough  to  hold  the  egg.  We  recommend  the  use  of 
nippers.  These  may  be  made  of  wire  or  some  elastic 
wood  like  red  cedar,  bent  or  cut  into,  the  shape  of  the 
letter  U,  elongated  to  about  six  inches,  and  with  loops  of 
wire  at  the  ends  about  the  eighth  of  an  inch  wide.  These 
will  hold  the  egg  without  trouble.  A  small  homoepathic 
phial  is  used  to  examine  the  eggs.  The  manner  of  its 
use  is  to  fill  it  with  water,  put  in  the  eggs  to  be  examined, 
cork  it,  hold  it  up  before  the  window  in  a  horizontal 
position,  and  with  your  microscope  look  up  through  the 
side  of  the  phial.  This  brings  the  egg  which  lies  at  the 
bottom  of  the  glass,  within  the  focus  of  the  microscope, 
and  the  water  does  not  distort  its  shape.  This  seems  to 
be  a  very  simple  thing,  and  hardly  worth  telling  but  of 
the  hundreds  who  have  tried  to  examine  eggs  in  our 
hatching  house,  not  a  half  dozen  got  it  right  until  told 
how  to  do  it.  The  microscope  need  not  be  very  strong ; 
one  magnifying  eight  or  ten  diameters  is  amply  sufficient. 
A  small  net  will  be  of  use  in  removing  the  young  fish 


oO 

and  any  refuse  in  the  water  from  the  troughs ;  it  should 
be  about  6  inches  in  diameter,  ID  the  shape  of  the  letter 
D,  with  the  handle  on  the  middle  of  the  bend.  It  is  very 
easily  made  by  bending  a  wire  in  the  desired  shape,  and 
twisting  the  two  ends  together  for  a  handle.  Thiu  gauze 
of  some  kind,  like  bobinet  should  be  spread  over  the  wire 
BO  tightly  that  the  middle  of  the  net  shall  hang  only  a 
half  inch  below  the  level.  An  iron  spoon,  well  tinned  or 
silvered,  is  used  to  remove  the  eggs.  Some  six-quart  tin 
milk-pans  will  be  necessary,  for  a  variety  of  purposes. 
Eggs  may  be  counted  most  easily  by  measuring  them. 
For  this  purpose  take  any  small  glass,  such  as  a  very 
small  tumbler,  for  instance,  count  out  500  or  a  1,000  eggs, 
and  with  a  file  make  a  mark  upon  the  glass  as  high  as 
they  reach,  and  the  measure  is  always  ready  to  your  hand. 
A  watering' pot  with  a  fine  rose  spout  is  used  to  wash 
sediment  from  tke  eggs  on  the  seives,  and  a  broom  of 
wig  s  is  used  to  brush  the  screens  of  wire. 


CHAPTER    V. 

TREATMENT    OF    EGGS. 

PLACING  EGGS  IN  THE  TROUGHS. —  The  eggs  of  a  trout 
are  about  one-sixth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  nearly 
round.  They  are  generally  of  a  light  straw  or  salmon 
color.  The  color  varies  with  the  meat  of  the  fish.  The 
redder  the  meat,  the  more  orange  colored  are  the  eggs. 
They  are  generally  of  a  light  yellow  or  amber  color  at  first, 
and  grow  darker  as  the  egg  grows  older.  Their  specific 
gravity  is  a  little  greater  than  that  of  water,  so  that  they 
will  sink  in  water,  but  may  be  easily  moved  in  it.  Sup- 
pose the  eggs  to  be  obtained  and  that  you  have  them  in  a 
shallow  pan.  The  water  in  the  troughs  should  be  raised 


51 

by  placing  a  narrow  strip  across  the  trough  upon  One  of 
the  two  inch  strips  dividing  the  .nests.  Then  sink  the 
pan  gently  to  the  edge  in  the  water  of  the  trough,  at  the 
same  time  tipping  the  pan,  so  that  the  water  in  the  trough 
and  in  the  pan  shall  come  together  with  as  little  current 
as  possible.  Then  the  edge  of  the  pan  may  be  eunk  into 
the  water,  and  by  tipping  the  pan  a  little  more,  the  eggs 
will  flow  out  without  injury.  By  moving  the  pan  while 
the  eggs  are  running  out,  they  may  be  spread  uniformly 
over  the  bottom.  If  they  fall  in  a  heap,  take  the  bearded 
end  of  a  feather,  and  move  the  water  with  it  in  the  direc- 
tion you  wish  the  eggs  to  go,  and  they  will  follow  the 
current  thus  created.  This  may  be  done  without  touch- 
ing the  eggs  with  the  feather.  Distribute  the  eggs  as 
evenly  as  possible  over  the  surface  of  the  nest.  Where  they 
are  placed  upon  wire  sieves,  these  may  be  moved  and 
shaken  under  water  so  as  to  distribute  the  eggs  evenly. 
The  strip  which  was  placed  across  the  trough  to  raise 
the  water  should  then  be  removed.  Care  must  be  taken 
that  it  be  not  removed  so  suddenly  as  to  cause  a  rush  of 
water,  which  would  carry  most  of  the  eggs  away  with  it. 
Raise  the  strip  a  little  way  from  the  bottom  so  as  to  let 
i he  water  run  out  gradually,  and  when  it  is  very  nearly  or 
altogether  at  the  proper  level,  the  strip  may  be  removed 
entirely.  Those  who  have  a  nursery  attached  to  the 
troughs  place  the  earliest  eggs  in  the  lower  end  of  the 
trough,  and  keep  placing  them  toward  the  top,  so  that 
the  fish  which  are  first  hatched  can  run  first  into  the 
nursery  without  disturbing  the  others.  We  practice  pla- 
cing the  eggs  in  the  highest  end  of  the  trough  first,  be- 
cause the  eggs  earliest  placed,  hatch  out  first,  and  the 
water  should  be  raised  over  them,  as  they  requiie  more 
oxygen  than  the  egg.  If  these  first  should  be  placed  at 
the  lower  end  of  the  trough,  in  order  to  do  this  the  water 


52 

must  be  raised  over  all  the  eggs ;  if  at  the  upper  end,  strips 
can  be  placed  upon  the  nests  in  succession  as  the  eggs 
hatch  out  and  the  water  left  running  upon  the  the  un- 
hatched  eggs  as  usual.  About  ten  thousand  may  be 
placed  in  each  nest  eighteen  inches  by  fifteen  inches. 

If  the  eggs  have  been  received  from  a  trout  breeder, 
they  should  be  left  in  the  packages  in  which  they  have 
been  sent  until  the  troughs  are  ready  for  them.  Persons 
will  sometimes  take  the  tin  boxes  containing  the  eggs 
out  of  the  saw  dust  in  which  they  were  packed,  and  set 
them  in  the  water  of  their  troughs,  with  the  idea  perhaps 
of  getting  the  eggs  in  the  box  to  the  same  temperature 
as  the  water  before  unpacking  them.  This  will  surely 
kill  the  eggs  in  a  few  hours.  Leave  them  in  the  original 
package  until  a  few  hours  before  you  are  ready  to  place 
them  in  the  troughs.  Then  take  out  the  tins  and  set 
them  over  or  neai  the  troughs,  which  will  reduce  or  raise 
the  temperature  enough.  Then  empty  the  box  into  a 
tin  pan  full  of  water  taken  from  the  trough,  pick  out  as 
much  moss  as  you  can  readily  with  your  fingers  or  nip- 
pers, and  wash  off  the  nest  in  the  manner  shown  in  direc- 
tions for  washing  eggs  hereafter. 

If  the  eggs  have  had  decent  treatment  on  the  way,  that 
is  not  thrown  about  roughly  or  set  near  a  red  hot  stove, 
you  should  find  very  few  dead  eggs  in  the  boxes,  not  more 
than  ten  or  twelve  in  one  thousand.  Should  the  eggs  be 
found,  on  opening  the  box,  run  together  in  lumps  instead 
of  being  evenly  distributed,  and  turned  to  a  dead  white 
or  milky  color,  it  shows  rough  usage  on  the  way. 

TEMPERATURE  OF*  WATER  AND  TIME  OF  INCUBATION, — 
The  length  of  time  required  to  hatch  out  the  eggs  de- 
pends upon  the  temperature  of  the  water.  A  general 
rule  sufficiently  accurate  for  all  practical  purposes  is  this : 
At  fifty  degrees  trout  eggs  will  hatch  out  in  fifty  days, 


53 

each  degree  colder  takes  five  days  longer,  and  each  de- 
gree warmer  five  days  less.  The  difference  however  in- 
creasing as  the  temperature  falls,  and  deminishing  as 
it  rises.  The  best  temperature  for  hatching  is  between 
thirty-five  and  forty-five  degrees.  We  are  inclined  to  be^ 
lieve  that  the  fish  hatched  at  a  temperature  of  about  forty- 
five  degrees  and  taking  from  seventy  to  seventy-five  days 
to  hatch,  are  stronger  and  longer  lived,  than  those  hatch- 
ed in  fifty  days  at  fifty  degrees.  It  may  be  well,  aleo, 
to  note  that  the  eggs  earliest  taken  produce  the  best 
fish.  The  water  of  a  spring  can  be  reduced  in  tem- 
perature in  winter  by  letting  it  run  for  a  short  distance 
exposed  to  the  open  air,  or  it  may  be  collected  in  a  pond 
and  the  supply  either  drawn  from  the  pond  or  the 
stream  whichever  is  regarded  as  the  most  desirable.  A  n- 
other  reason  for  delaying  the  hatching  of  trout  is  to 
bring  them  well  into  spring  before  they  are  turned 
louse,  as  at  that  time  they  can  get  more  abundant  food 
than  they  could  earlier. 

GROWTH  IN  THE  EGO. — A  great  mistake  is  often  made 
where  eggs  are  to  be  distributed  in  retaining  them  too 
long  after  impregnation.  This  is  sometimes  done  for 
convenience  in  shipping,  and  sometimes  with  a  view  of 
shortening  the  operation  of  hatching  in  the  hands  of 
the  person  receiving  them,  but  it  is  all  wrong. 

About  the  twentieth  day,  the  young  fish  can  be  plain- 
ly observed  in  the  egg.  Put  a  few  eggs  in  a  small 
phial  and  with  a  magnifying  glass  the  formation  of  the 
fish  can  be  easily  seen.  Fish  farmers  should  send  the 
eggs  away  at  this  time.  Some  of  the  eggs  are  not  im- 
pregnated and  at  this  stage  of  growth  may  easily  be 
distinguished  from  the  others.  The  dead  eggs  will  turn 
to  a  milk  or  a  pearl  white  color,  and  should  be  removed 
with  the  nippers  as  fast  as  they  are  discovered.  If  left 


54 

in  the  trough  a  fungus  growth  forms  upon  them  which 
extends  to  the  other  eggs  in  the  immediate  vicinity  and 
kills  them.  Care  should  be  taken  in  using  nippers,  not 
to  hurt  the  other  eggs,  and  to  do  this  the  bad  egg  should 
be  feathered  entirely  separate  from  the  rest ;  a  very  slight 
blow  or  jam  from  the  nippers  will  be  sufficient  to  destroy 
their  vitality.  Rats  and  mice  in  the  hatching  house 
often  destroy  many  eggs ;  they  are  very  fond  of  them, 
and  going  into  the  troughs  to  get  them  will  destroy  with 
their  feet  many  more  than  they  eat.  A  wire  screen,  or"| 
boards  laid  over  the  troughs  will  keep  them  out,  but  it 
is  a  much  cheaper  way  and  just  as  effectual,  to  keep 
them  down  by  traps  or  poison.  The  eggs  should  be 
feathered  over  occasionally  so  that  their  whole  surface 
may  be  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  water. 

TRANSPORTATION  OF  EGGS. — Eggs  should  be  packed  in 
round  tin  boxes,  about  three  inches  wide  and  two  and 
one-half  inches  deep ;  a  few  small  holes  are  punched  in 
the  bottom  to  let  the  water  run  off,  as  water  left  in  the 
box  will  kill  the  eggs.  Specimens  of  eggs  from  different 
parts  of  the  square  are  first  examined  with  the  microscope 
to  see  if  a  good  percentage  is  impregnated.  If  they  are, 
a  six-quart  pan  is  filled  with  water  to  the  heighth  of  the 
box  in  which  the  eggs  are  to  be  packed.  The  bottom  of  the 
box  is  then  covered  with  moss,  and  the  box  placed  in  the 
pan  and  filled  with  water.  The  moss  used  is  that  which 
grows  in  swamps,  or  on  stones  and  timbers,  in  wet 
places,  such  as  the  stones  in  a  brook,  or  the  timbers  of 
an  old  dam.  It  may  be  collected  and  kept  all.  winter  in 
a  damp  place  in  the  hatching-house.  The  bottom  of  the 
tin  is  filled  with  apiece  of  this  moss,  somewhat  depressed 
in  the  middle,  so  that  the  eggs  shall  not  touch  the  sides 
of  the  box,  the  moss  having  previously  been  well  washed 
to  free  it  from  dirt  and  insects.  The  moss  to  be  used  in 


55 

packing  must  undergo  a  little  more  preparation.  The 
green  fibres  must  be  cut  with  a  pair  of  scissors  from  the 
roots.  Only  the  green,  soft  and  living  fibres  are  used, 
and  the  roots,  stems  and  dead  leaves  thrown  away  as  use- 
less. This  fine  moss  must  then  be  washed  thoroughly. 
A  very  convenient,  way  is  to  nail  wire  netting  over  the 
bottom  of  an  old  soap  box.  Cut  the  moss  into  this,  and 
dipping  it  into  water  wash  thoroughly  so  as  to  remove 
all  dirt  and  insects,  the  latter  being  often  injurousto  the 
eggs.  By  simply  lifting  the  box  out  of  the  water,  you 
drain  the  moss. 

The  eggs  are  then  taken  out  of  the  trough,  by  being 
brushed  with  a  feather  into  a  spoon.  If  you  wish  to  count 
them,  fill  your  glass  measure  with  water,  and  turn  the 
contents  of  the  spoon  into  it.  When  the  five  hundred 
or  thousand  eggs  are  measured,  pour  them  into  a  ladle 
(small  enough  to  go  inside  of  the  packing  box),  having 
previously  filled  the  ladle  with  water ;  then  sink  the 
ladle  beneath  the  water  in  the  packing  box,  and  by 
gently  tipping  and  shaking  it  the  eggs  will  fall  to  the 
bottom  of  the  box ;  where  they  may  be  spread  evenly 
over  the  moss  with  a  feather.  A  layer  of  prepared  moss 
must  then  be  lightly  laid  over  the  eggs  without  taking 
the  box  entirely  out  of  the  water,  and  another  five  hundred 
or  thousand  eggs  put  in.  Then  fill  the  box  with  the  same 
kind  of  moss,  take  it  out  of  the  water  and  let  it  stand  a 
little  while  so  that  the  water  may  drain  off  through  the 
holes  in  the  bottom,  and  the  damp,  spongy  moss  be  left, 
an  elastic  and  life-giving  cushion  to  keep  the  eggs  from 
feeling  sudden  jolts  on  the  journey,  and  to  supply  them 
with  ox}7gen.  It  will  drain  more  quickly  if  a  chip  is 
placed  under  the  bottom  at  one  side.  When  the  water 
is  all  drained  off  the  covers  are  to  be  placed  on  the  boxes, 


56 

and  tied  on  with  pack  thread.  If  in  any  of  these  opera- 
tions the  box  of  eggs  should  fall  out  of  your  hands  to  the 
floor,  it  would  probably  kill  nearly  every  egg. 

The  tin  boxes  are  to  be  packed  in  saw  dust  in  a  box  or 
pail,  the  saw  dust  being  first  very  slightly  dampened. 
The  pail  or  box  should  have  a  handle  so  that  the  ex- 
pressmen may  lift  it  and  set  it  down  lightly,  and  not  be 
tempted  by  the  light  weight  of  a  square  box  to  pitch  it 
about  and  destroy  every  egg  in  it.  The  saw  dust  should 
cover  the  boxes  to  the  depth  of  an  inch,  at  least ;  then,  if 
they  are  not  exposed  to  a  freezing  temperature,  nor  to  a 
hot  fire,  and  receive  moderately  fair  treatment,  they  will 
go  safely  thousands  of  miles.  We  have  sent  them 
beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  to  California,  to  England, 
and  to  France.  We  have  packed  eggs  in  such  a  box 
when  they  were  first  taken  from  the  fish,  and  keeping  it 
at  the  same  temperature  as  the  water  in  the  troughs, 
have  left  it  until  eggs  taken  at  the  same  time  and  placed 
in  the  troughs,  were  hatching  out ;  and  then,  opening 
the  box,  have  found  that  some  of  the  fish  had  already  ap- 
peared, others  were  jubt  breaking  the  shells,  and  all  the 
impregnated  eggs  were  alive,  and  in  good  condition.  Of 
course  the  young  fish  did  not  live  in  the  moss,  but  would 
die  as  soon  as  they  appeared.  We  do  not  mention  this 
as  a  new  method  of  hatching  eggs,  but  to  show  how  per- 
fect the  means  is  of  sending  them. 

The  eggs  in  the  box  should  be  spread  as  thinly  and 
evenly  through  the  box  as  possible,  taking  care  that  none 
of  them  touch  the  sides,  and  the  moss  packed  in  well 
(not  tightly)  to  keep  them  in  place.  If  this  is  not  done 
the  recipient  of  the  eggs  will  sometimes  find  them,  after 
a  long  journey,  jolted  together  into  a  solid  mass,  and 
spoiled.  Use  clean,  bright  tin  boxes,  which  are  free 


57 

from  iron   rust,    as   rust  on  the   tin  or  on  the   trays  or 
screens  which  the  eggs  touch  will  kill  them  to  a  cetainty. 

We  have  given  this  as  the  best  method  of  shipping 
eggs,  but  larger  boxes  may  be  used  for  salmon  eggs  if 
large  numbers  are  to  be  shipped  and  it  is  important  to  re-  /  f* 
duce  labor  to  the  minimum.  In  such  case  a  partition  of 
thin  board  should  separate  the  box  into  two  or  more 
divisions  and  be  supported  by  strips  of  wood  so  as  to 
support  the  moss  and  eggs  above.  If  these  boxes  are 
then  packed  in  open  crates  in  hay,  straw  or  saw  dust,  ice 
may  be  placed  above  them  and  allowed  to  drip  on  the 
crates  and  among  the  straw,  if  they  are  to  be  exposed  for 
a  long  time  to  hot  weather. 

They  may  be  advantageously  sent  in  refrigerator  cars 
which  are  kept  at  a  uniform  temperature,  or  in  the  com- 
partment of  vessels  appropriated  to  the  shipment  of 
fresh  meat.  The  eggs  of  the  California  salmon  have 
been  safely  sent  to  New  Zealand.  In  1876  shipments  of 
eggs  were  made  from  San  Francisco  to  New  Zealand  and 
arrived  in  such  good  order  that  over  seventy-live  per 
cent,  of  them  hatched.  The  eggs  after  being  packed, 
had  to  be  carried  two  miles  over  a  rough  road,  with  the 
thermometer  104  degrees  in  the  shade,  then  taken  by 
railroad  three  hundred  miles,  and  finally  transported  by 
steamer  over  seven  thousand  miles  to  the  antipodes, 
crossing  the  equator  on  the  way.  So  it  is  apparent  there 
is  little  difficulty  in  transporting  salmon  eggs. 

Another  plants  to  make  a  box  of  about  a  foot  square 
with    trays  like  drawers  to  slide  into  it  and  fit  on  one- 
another,  which  are  kept  in  place  by  a  door  to  the  front    ^V 
of  the  box.     The  trays  are  nearly  an  inch  deep,  and  are  " 
merely  strips  of  wood  nailed  in  the  shape  of  a  square 
with    a   bottom  of  canton  flannel.     The  upper   drawer 
has  a  lid  of  canton  flannel  also.     The  trays  are  placed  in 


58 

water,  the  eggs  are  spread  carefully  in  them  till  they  are 
full,  and  then  they  are  put  in  the  box.  As  the  bottom 
of  one  rests  on  the  top  of  the  other  the  eggs  are  kept  in 
place.  Such  a  box  will  hold  an  immense  number  of  eggs, 
,  but  is  only  suited  to  being  sent  by  a  messenger  who  will 
take  charge  of  it,  and  cannot  be  trusted  to  express. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

YOUNG  TROUT  AND  SALMON. 

APPEARANCE. — After  the  eggs  have  lain  in  the  water 
from  fifty  to  seventy-five  days,  according  to  the  temper- 
ature, the  Trout  will  begin  to  make  their  appearance,  the 
egg  appears  to  be  endowed  with  life,  and  the  motions  of 
the  Trout  inside  "  kicking  "  against  the  shell  to  force 
their  way  out  can  be  planily  perceived  without  the  use 
of  a  microscope.  At  length  the  Trout  forces  his  way 
through,  head  first  or  tail  first,  those  that  hatch  head  first 
always  dying  however,  and  the  useless  shell  floats  away 
down  stream.  The  Trout  is  then  about  one-half  inch 
long,  and  the  body  proper  as  thin  as  a  needle  ;  the  most 
prominent  features  being  a  pair  of  eyes,  huge  in  compar- 
ison with  the  rest  of  the  body,  and  a  sac  nearly  as  large  as 
the  egg.  This  sac  is  attached  to  the  belly  of  the  fish, 
and  contains  food,  which  the  fish  gradually  absorbs.  If 
the  fish  are  hatched  in  fifty  days  the  sac  lasts  about 
thirty,  if  in  seventy  days,  about  forty-five.  At  this 
period  of  their  lives  they  will  work  down  into  the 
crevices  of  the  gravel  and  along  the  sides  of  the  troughs 
and  stay  there,  nature  seeming  to  give  them  the  instinct 
at  this  weak  and  defenceless  period  of  their  lives,  when 
they  are  burdened  with  a  load  which  they  can  hardly 
carry,  to  get  out  of  sight  and  out  of  the  way  of  harm  as 


much  as  possible.  At  this  stage  of  their  growth  many 
curious  deformities  appear,  more  interesting  perhaps  to 
the  physiologist  than  to  Trout  culturist.  Some  of  the 
fry  will  have  two  heads,  and  some  will  be  united  after 
the  manner  of  the  Siamese  Twins.  A  very  common  de- 
formity is  a  crook  or  bend  in  the  Trout,  giving  it  a  semi- 
circular form,  so  that  when  it  attemps  to  swim  it  can 
only  progress  in  small  circles.  All  the  deformed  soon 
die,  and  may  as  well  be  removed  from  the  trough  at 
once.  They  live  as  long  as  the  sac  supplies  them  with 
food  ;  when  the  sac  is  exhausted  they  cannot  swim  about 
to  get  food,  and  die  of  starvation. 

This  instinct  of  hiding  will  make  the  young  fry  very 
uneasy  if  they  are  placed  in  a  trough  without  gravel. 
They  will  keep  continually  in  motion,  or  will  crowd  upon 
one  another  in  masses  each  trying  to  work  his  way  out  of 
sight  under  the  others.  They  must  now  be  watched, 
and  carefully  moved  from  time  to  time  if  there  is  danger 
of  their  smothering. 

NURSERY. — The  most  critical  period  in  the  life  of  a 
Trout  commences  when  the  umbilical  sac  is  absorbed. 
More,  perhaps  die  from  the  time  they  begin  to  feed  until 
they  are  six  months  old,  than  at  an}'  other  time.  In 
consequence  many  different  plans  for  nurseries  have 
been  suggested  and  used.  The  fry  requii  e  a  largely 
increased  supply  of  water,  but  where  only  a  mod- 
erate number  is  to  be  raised,  in  place  of  erect- 
ing other  and  wider  troughs  or  boxes  for  nurseries, 
the  better  plan  is  to  put  only  a  few  eggs,  say  five 
hundred,  into  each  square  or  nest  of  the  hatching 
trough.  The  square  is  then  large  enough  with  the 
water  raised  to  keep  the  Trout  well  for  a  month  or 
two  after  they  commence  feeding,  when  they  may  be 
transferred  into  the  first  or  upper  pond.  This  plan 


60 

economizes  space,  saves  one  removal,  and  the  fish  do  bet- 
ter after  a  month  or  two  in  the  ponds  than  they  would 
in  troughs  or  rearing  boxes.  It  is  better  to  remove  the 
gravel  from  the  troughs  as  soon  as  the  fish  commence 
feeding,  because  then  the  troughs  can  be  kept  clean  more 
easily,  else  particles  of  food  will  lodge  in  the  gravel, 
whence  they  cannot  be  removed.  The  water  must  be 
raised  by  the  cross-strip  before  mentioned  as  soon  as  the 
eggs  hatch  out.  It  would  be  well  to  fix  a  small  screen 
in  each  alternate  cross-strip,  which  can  be  done  by  cut- 
ting out  a  space  of  eight  inches  by  two,  and  nailing  a 
fine  screen  over  the  opening.  This  will  prevent  the  Trout 
from  running  up  and  down  in  the  troughs,  and  incon- 
veniently crowding  together. 

The  fry  are  removed  from  the  troughs  into  the  pond 
by  the  use  of  a  small  net,  such  as  described  among  the 
implements  of  the  fish  raiser.  Take  them  upon  this,  a 
few  at  a  time,  and  put  them  in  a  pan  of  water ;  they  will 
swim  off  the  net  and  you  may  draw  it  from  under  them. 
In  the  pan  they  may  be  carried,  a  thousand  at  a  time,  to 
the  pond  in  which  you  wish  to  place  them.  Put  them 
into  still  water;  they  will  settle  down  on  the  bottom  and 
remain  there  for  some  hours,  then  they  will  begin  to 
explore  their  new  quarters,  and  in  a  few  days  will 
become  thoroughly  habituated  to  the  place. 

Boards  are  sometimes  placed  over  the  outer  edges  of 
the  preserves  to  give  the  fish  a  hiding  place  and  shelter 
Irom  the  sun  when  they  wish  it,  and  more  important 
than  all,  to  act  as  a  trap  tor  minks  in  case  there  is  danger 
of  these  destructive  creatures  getting  into  the  ponds ;  as 
the  boards  project  nine  or  ten  inches  from  the  sides,  il  a 
mink  gets  in  he  cannot  make  his  way  out. 

Where  a  large  number  of  try  are  hatched  they  have 
to  be  left  in  the  troughs  until  they  can  be  distributed, 


61 

which  is  done  as  soon  after  the  absortion  of  the  a 
possible.  In  this  case  the  troughs  must  have  all  the 
gravel  removed  and  must  be  kept  scrupulously  clean.  A 
very  little  decayed  meat  wil)  render  the  water  offensive 
and  produce  disease.  This  offensiveness  does  not  show 
itself  in  the  least  in  the  appearance  of  the  water,  which 
to  the  eye  may  be  as  bright,  clean  and  sparkling  as  ever. 
It  can,  however,  be  often  detected  by  the  smell.  When 
gravel  has  been  for  some  time  in  the  tanks  or  troughs 
where  fish  are  fed — even  with  the  utmost  care,  if  a  hand- 
full  is  taken  up  it  will  be  found  to  be  very  offensive  to  the 
olfactories.  As  well  might  we  expect  the  human  race  to  be 
healthy  in  foul  atmosphere,  as  fish  to  be  healthy  in  foul 
water.  In  the  ponds  it  will  sometimes  answer  to  cover 
up  or  deoderise  the  .feculent  matter  by  throwing  earth 
mixed  with  a  very  little  salt  into  the  water  and  allowing 
it  to  settle ;  this  not  only  covers  the  decaying  substan- 
ces but  disinfects  them  in  a  measure,  on  the  principle 
that  dry  earth  is  used  in  the  earth  closet.  The  water 
is  to  be  made  quite  thick  and  muddy  with  the  earth, 
and  the  operation  is  to  be  renewed  every  few  days,  as 
often  as  necessary.  The  roiliness  of  the  water  does  not 
seem  to  injure  the  fish.  This,  nowever,  at  best  is  but  a 
makeshift,  and  the  true  plan,  especially  with  young  fry 
is  to  keep  the  troughs  clean. 

Cleaning  the  troughs  must  be  peformed  daily,  in  the 
morning  and  evening.  A  thin  board  nearly  as  wide  as 
the  trough  and  shaped  like  a  hand  shovel,  is  made  with 
a  short  stick  for  a  handle  nailed  across  it.  When  this  is 
held  in  the  water  across  the  trough  it  creates  a  strong 
current  under  it.  It  is  held  in  the  left  hand  while  in  the 
right  hand  is  a  small  brush  broom  such  as  is  used  in 
cleaning  sinks,  and  with  which  the  sides  and  bottom  of 
the  trough  are  well  scrubbed.  All  the  dirt  is  sucked 


under  the  board  and  carried  along  to  the  lower  end  ot 
the  trough.  The  fish  are  also  crowded  together  ahead 
of  the  cleaning  operation  and  out  of  the  way  of  the 
broom.  When  the  lower  part  is  reached  the  fry  are 
driven  above  and  the  operation  completed  by  netting  out 
the  larger  pieces  of  meat  or  dirt,  and  by  rubbing  the 
finer  particles  through  the  screen  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
trough  ;  or,  a  high  cross  bar  may  be  put  in,  the  screen 
raised  for  a  moment  and  the  waste  plug  opened. 

When  there  is  not  accommodation  in  the  troughs  for 
all  the  fry  and  they  can  not  be  distributed,  a  temporary 
place  of  retention  may  be  made  by  using  the  shad  boxes 
which  are  described  under  the  chapter  on  shad  hatching. 
These  need  not  generally  be  set  at  an  angle  to  the  cur- 
rent, as  the  mere  ordinary  disturbance  of  the  water  near 
the  outlet  of  the  ponds  will  give  them  motion  enough  to 
change  the  water.  These  will  only  answer  temporarily 
and  must  be  cleaned  as  carefully  as  the  troughs.  They 
are  to  be  scrubbed  all  over  the  inside  and  on  the  bottom. 
To  do  this  without  injuring  the  fish,  the  box  is  tipped  up 
so  as  to  bring  one  part  after  the  other  out  of  the  water 
where  it  can  be  brushed,  while  the  fry  are  safely  swim- 
ming at  the  other  end. 

If  the  fry  must  be  kept  in  confinement,  absolute  clean- 
liness is  a  necessary  prerequisite  to  their  health  ;  but  we 
can  not  too  strongly  impress  upon  our  readers  the  desir- 
ability of  turning  them  out  into  the  small  rivulets 
connected  with  the  waters  where  they  are  to  live,  as 
soon  as  possible  after  the  sac  is  absorbed.  Although 
they  encounter  some  perils  to  which  they  are  not 
exposed  if  kept  in  preserves,  they  escape  still  more  dan- 
gers and  acquire  the  habit  of  taking  care  of  themselves 
which  is  necessary  when  they  come  finally  to  be  thrown 
upon  their  own  resources. 


63 

Foot).— The  best  food  for  trout  fry  is  raw  liver,  chop- 
ped as  fine  as  possible,  and  then  rubbed  through  a'  screen 
or  sieve  with  a  flat  stick.  It  must  be  reduced  to  the  con- 
sistency of  pulp,  and  contain  no  strings  or  gristle.  A 
chopping  machine  is  made  for  chopping  hash  and  sausage, 
and  either  that,  or  a  couple  of  sharp  knives  are  used  to 
chop  the  liver.  What  is  used  is  mixed  with  water  so  as 
to  reduce  it  to  about  the  thickness  of  cream.  A  tea- 
cup full  of  this  mixture  will  feed  a  hundred  thousand  fish 
when  they  first  begin  to  feed.  The  best  way  to  feed  them 
is  to  take  a  case-knife,  dip  it  in  the  food  and  slirt  off 
what  adheres  into  the  troughs;  a  very  simple  way,  but 
one  answering  all  practical  purposes.  Care  should  be 
taken  not  to  feed  too  much,  else  the  surplus  food  will  re- 
main on  the  bottom,  and  decaying  there  foul  the  trough. 
The  reason  of  the  difficulty  in  raising  young  fish  appears 
to  be  that  they  are  literally  starved  to  death.  The  food 
which  we  can  give  them  is  not  natural  to  them,  it  is 
often  given  in  such  coarse  pieces  that  they  cannot  take  it, 
and  sometimes,  through  the  carelessness  of  a  hired  hand, 
they  are  neglected  two  or  three  days  at  a  time. 

It  is  impossible  to  get  the  natural  food  for  the  fry,  in 
lact  no  one  knows  what  it  is,  further  than  that  it  must  be 
microscopic  insects  of  some  sort,  as  the  adult  trout  are 
never  known  to  feed  on  anything  but  animal  food.  It  is 
found  in  the  spring  runs,  even  actually  in  them,  as  they 
apparently  issue  bare  of  life  from  the  bosom  of  the  earth. 
Liver  is  but  a  poor  and  unnatural  substitute  for  this  food 
with  fish  so  delicate  as  the  trout,  and  if  they  once  get  the 
habit  of  feeding  naturally  on  what  the  water  offers  they 
will  not  take  the  artificial  food  afterward.  Fish,  of  any 
age,  learn  to  eat  that  food  which  is  most  abundant  around 
them.  Anglers  know  this  by  experience,  and  use  the 
flies  which  they  see  on  the  stream  on  which  they  are  fish 


64 

ing.  It  is  supposed  that  a  trout  is  very  fond  of  grass- 
hoppers, but  the  trout  in  one  of  our  ponds  which  we  have 
fed  for  a  long  time  with  beef  lights,  will  not  look  at  grass- 
hoppers, and  will  turn  up  their  noses  at  the  fattest  and 
juiciest  worms,  while  the  trout  fresh  caught  out  of  the 
stream,  which  we  have  put  in  a  pond  by  themselves  to 
educate,  will  for  weeks  refuse  the  daintiest  bits  of  lights 
and  liver.  Hunger  will  after  a  time  drive  them  to  change 
their  food;  but  with  the  young  ones  we  cannot  wait  for 
this,  as  they  will  die  off  before  they  learn.  As  the  fish 
grow  older  and  stronger  more  food  must  be  given  to  them  ; 
when  six  months  old,  a  bowl  full  of  liver  will  answer  for 
t a  thousand.  While  the  fish  are  young,  feed  often;  six 
or  eight  times  a  day  for  the  first  two  or  three  months ; 
three  times  a  day  will  do  after  three  months  until  they 
are  a  year  old. 

Young  salmon,  young  salmon  trout,  California  moun- 
tain trout,  and  above  all  young  California  salmon  are 
larger,  have  stronger  appetite,  and  will  accept  coarser 
food.  For  them,  although  at  first  the  liver  should  be 
made  as  fine  as  for  trout  when  they  are  a  few  weeks  old, 
it  will  be  hardly  necessary  to  dilute  it  at  all,  and  in  the 
course  of  a  few  months  they  will  not  only  take  th'e  larger 
pieces,  often  tearing  them  apart,  but  will  scorn  the  finer 
portion.  At  one  time  sour  milk  was  almost  exclusively 
used  for  feeding  young  fish,  but  it  has  been  given  up. 
Other  foods  have  been  tried,  but  with  no  better  success. 
The  fish  will  not  thrive  on  any  of  them  as  well  as  they 
do  on  liver,  and  do  not  thrive  on  that  as  well  as  if  it  were 
a  natural  food. 

As  they  grow  older,  other  things  may  be  substituted 
or  may  be  added  to  it  as  a  change.  They  are  fond  of  the 
roe  ot  other  fish,  of  the  spawn  of  the  horse-foot  or  king- 
crab;  of  fish  itself,  and  when  they  are  large  enough  to 


65 

eat  minnows,  no  better  food  can  be  given  them.  Liver  is 
too  expensive  when  it  has  to  be  used  alone  for  grown  fish, 
and  beef  lights  are  usually  added  to  it  or  used  in  place  of 
it  in  a  measure.  It  is  miserable  food  however,  much  of 
it  passing  through  the  stomachs  of  the  trout  and  salmon 
wholly  undigested  and  collecting  in  the  bottom  of  the 
ponds.  It  injures  the  digestive  organs  and  must  be 
deleterious  to  the  health  of  the  fish.  Its  only  recom- 
mendation is  that  it  is  cheap.  Maggots  are  bred  on 
spoilt  meat,  hung  over  the  ponds,  and  as  they  fall  off  and 
drop  into  the  water  are  readily  devoured,  and  make  ex- 
cellent tood.  Or  a  piece  of  spoilt  meat  may  be  placed  in 
a  deep  bottle  like  a  preserving  bottle,  and  the  flies  that 
will  collect  in  immense  numbers  during  summer  may  be 
caught  and  emptied  into  the  water.  This  trap  will  take 
many  times  its  bulk  of  flies  by  being  kept  set  all  the  time 
and  emptied  when  any  one  is  passing  it.  Flies  are  prob- 
ably the  best  food  that  can  be  given  to  trout. 

One  difficulty  with  all  this  family  of  fish  which  is 
accustomed  to  seize  its  prey  while  in  motion,  is  that  they 
will  very  rarely  pick  up  food  from  the  bottom.  To 
obviate  this,  a  plan  of  keeping  the  food  in  motion  has 
been  carried  out  on  a  small  scale  by  utilizing  an  inven- 
tion made  at  the  New  York  state  works  for  hatching  the 
eggs,  called  the  Holton  hatching  box,  which  will  be  des- 
cribed more  fully  hereafter.  The  idea  of  this  was  to 
introduce  the  water  from  below  and  carry  it  over  the  top. 
A  funnel  shaped  tin  or  wooden  vessel  is  made  with  the 
apex  below,  the  water  entering  this  creates  a  current  that 
prevents  the  particles  of  food  from  descending,  and  keeps 
them  in  motion.  Credit  for  this  application  of  the  inven- 
tion is  due  to  Mr.  Winans  of  Baltimore,  but  it  is  at  best 
but  partially  successful,  as  the  food  soon  becomes  so 
washed  by  the  water  that  the  fish  will  reject  it,  even  if 
they  have  taken  it  into  their  mouths. 


66 

GROWTH. — There  will  be  a  great  difference  in  the 
growth  of  the  fish  noticeable  after  the  first  few  weeks  of 
their  existence.  Some,  of  course,  will  be  larger  and 
more  vigorous  than  others  from  their  birth  ;  but  of  those 
apparently  of  the  same  size  and  health  when  one  month 
old,  some  at  six  months  will  be  four  times  the  size  of 
others ;  this,  too,  when  grown  in  the  same  pond  and  un- 
der the  same  circumstances.  They  will  begin  to  eat 
each  other  when  very  young.  A  Trout  only  a  few  weeks 
old  begins  to  show  symptoms  of  fight,  and  will  kill  his 
weaker  brethren  when  they  get  in  his  way  by  biting  a 
piece  out  of  their  tails.  In  two  or  three  months,  when 
some  of  them  get  to  be  double  the  size  of  others,  they 
will  swallow  the  smaller  ones.  We  have  taken  a  Trout 
one  inch  long  out  of  another  only  two  inches  long.  It 
would  seem  to  be  advantageous,  therefore,  to  sort  them 
out  every  little  while,  and  put  the  same  size  by  them- 
selves ;  bat  in  practice  this  is  very  difficult,  and  the  less  a 
trout  of  any  size  is  handled,  the  better;  besides,  if  they 
are  fed  well  they  lose  their  disposition  to  eat  each  other. 
Therefore,  the  trout  of  each  year  may  be  left  by  them- 
selves with  very  little  probability  of  losing  more  by  can- 
nibalism than  would  be  killed  in  sorting  out  and  re- 
moving. 

Salmon  and  salmon-trout  do  not  require  so  much  care 
as  trout.  Salmon,  both  the  eastern  and  western,  prefer 
to  remain  in  the  strong  current  of  the  stream,  and  not  in 
the  quiet  eddies  or  dead  water  like  trout.  In  this  way 
they  receive  the  element  in  a  purer  and  better  aerated 
condition.  They  grow  more  rapidly,  and  are  sooner  out 
of  danger  of  infantile  diseases.  A  curious  fact  has 
been  observed  in  reference  to  California  salmon,  and 
probably  the  same  rule  applies  to  all  fish.  They  will 
grow  much  more  rapidly  in  warmer  water  than  in  the  cold 


67 

spring  water  in  which  they  were  hatched.  Nor  does  the 
change  produce  any  diminution  of  health.  Fry  taken 
from  the  hatching  troughs  and  placed  in  tanks  with  the 
water  at  sixty  degrees,  became,  in  the  course  of  five 
months,  five  times  as  large  as  those  that  remained  in  the 
water  of  a  temperature  of  about  thirty-five  degrees. 
They  were  exceedingly  active,  very  few  ot  them  died ; 
they  ate  voraciously,  and  their  colors  were  very  remark- 
ably brilliant. 

California  mountain  trout  are  also  more  vigorous  in 
every  way  than  the  eastern  trout ;  they  are  not  so  hand- 
some, having  no  carmine  specks,  and  much  duller  colors 
on  their  sides  and  bellies,  but  they  are  hardy,  lived  well 
in  confinement,  and  grow  rapidly.  They  take  a  fly  readi- 
ly and  furnish  excellent  sport  to  the  fisherman,  while  their 
flesh  which  like  that  of  our  trout  is  sometimes  white  and 
sometimes  red  is  not  to  be  surpassed  as  food.  So  strong 
are  they  that  they  are  difficult  to  manipulate  in  extracting 
the  spawn  from  them.  They  are  hard  to  hold  and  will 
only  give  down  their  milt  or  spawn  when  they  are  ready. 
The  person  handling  them  must  wait  for  his  opportunity. 
The  only  California  trout  which  were  ever  acclimatized 
in  the  eartern  states  up  to  this  time  (1878,)  were  hatched 
and  grown  in  the  New  York  establishment.  They  com- 
menced spawning  March  14,  1878,  three  years  after  they 
were  imported  in  the  egg.  They  yielded  more  eggs  than 
the  eastern  trout  in  proportion  to  their  size,  and  the  eggs 
were  slightly  larger.  They  continued  spawning  until 
May  25th,  and  began  to  hatch  in  forty-five  days.  By 
the  report  of  the  Utah  Commissioner  of  1878,  it  is  said 
that  the  western  trout  spawn  in  May,  but  as  no  spawners 
were  taken  by  the  Commissioner  and  no  eggs  obtained 
by  him,  he  may  have  been  too  late,  and  the  fish  which 
he  obtained  instead  of  being  all  males,  as  he  supposed, 
may  have  been  spent  fish. 


68 

PRECAUTION  AGAINST  ESCAPE. — There  will  always  be 
a  difficulty  in  so  arranging  ponds,  screens,  outlets  and 
inlets  as  to  keep  the  young  try  in  their  proper  pond. 
The  water  is  very  apt  to  work  holes  around  the  screens, 
or  rather  around  the  boxes  containing  the  screens.  The 
young  fry  will  make  their  way  through  a  wonderfully 
small  hole5,  no  matter  how  long  the  distance  may  be. 
They  will  also  get  through  between  the  screen  and  the 
socket,  unless  these  are  very  well  fitted  together,  and 
wherever  there  is  a  crack  into  which  they  can  get  their 
large  heads.,  they  will  put  them  in  so  tightly  that  they 
cannot  extricate  themselves,  but  will  die.  In  short, 
wherever  ypu  can  run  the  big  blade  of  a  jack-knife,  there 
the  young  trout  will  go.  In  making  a  pond  for  them,  it 
is  best  to  beat  the  edges  with  a  spade  until  they  are  per- 
fectly smooth,  or,  better  yet,  to  put  a  board  around  the 
edges  to  the  depth  of  a  foot. 

CLEANING  SCREENS. — If  the  screens  are  not  kept  well 
cleaned,  two  consequences  follow.  First,  the  water  runs 
over  the  top  of  the  screens  instead  of  fnrough  them,  and 
the  young  trout  escape;  and  second,  when  the  screens 
are  taken  out  to  be  cleaned  a  rush  of  water  follows  their 
removal,  carrying  away  with  it  numbers  of  trout  into  the 
next  pond.  Whenever  you  are  going  to  clean  the  screens 
drive  all  the  trout  from  their  vicinity,  then  take  the 
screens  out  and  wash  them  with  a  stiff  brush/  They 
may  be  first  raked  off  with  a  rake  if  they  are  made  of 
slats,  and  then  taken  out  and  cleaned.  They  will  re- 
;  quire  attention  always  once  and  sometimes  twice  a  day. 

DISEASES.— This'part  of  fish:raising  is  least  understood  as 
yet.  After  the  egg  sac  is  absorbed  and  the  fry  begin  to 
swim  about,  a  sick  one  is  very  easily  distinguished.  The 
healthy  trout  swim  in  the  current  with  their  heads  up 


69 

stream,  darting  about  here  and  there  after  minute  par- 
ticles of  food.  The  diseased  ones  wander  about  listlessly, 
swiming  round  and  round  continually.  They  may  also 
be  known  by  the  size  of  their  heads,  which  appear  much 
larger  than  their  bodies.  The  head  of  a  young  trout  is 
the  largest  portion  of  the  fish,  even  when  well,  but  when 
aick  the  fish  appears  to  be  all  head. 

Before  the  food  sac  is  gone  the  trout  is  often  afflicted 
with  a  swelling  over  the  sac ;  a  membrane  forms  there, 
swells  out  large  and  is  filled  with  a  watery  substance. 
We  call  the  disease  the  "dropsy,"  or  "blue  swelling." 
Sometimes  the  trout  may  be  saved  by  making  an  incision 
in  the  swelling  and  letting  out  the  water ;  but  as  with 
care  only  a  few  of  them  are  affected  in  this  way,  it  is 
better  for  the  fish  culturist  to  hatch  more  eggs  than 
he  expects  to  raise  than  to  bother  with  a  surgery  he 
does  not  understand.  In  other  words,  hatch  more  than 
you  want,  and  keep  the  strongest  and  best. 

There  is  a  small  worm  which  is  one  of  the  greatest 
enemies  which  the  young  fry  have.  It  spins  a  web  in 
the  water  to  catch  the  young  fish,  just  as  a  spider  does 
on  land  to  catch  flies.  The  web  is  as  perfect  as  that  of  the 
spider  and  as  much  mechanical  ingenuity  is  displayed  in 
its  construction.  It  is  made  as  quickly  and  in  the  same 
way  as  a  spider's,  by  fastening  the  thread  at  different 
points  and  going  back  and  forth  until  the  web  is  finished. 
The  threads  are  not  strong  enough  to  hold  the  young 
trout'  after  the  unbilical  sac  is  absorbed,  bnt  the  web 
will  stick  to  the  fins  and  get  wound  around  the  head  and 
gills  and  soon  kills  the  fish.  It  is  even  more  destructive 
to  white  fish,  which  are  much  smaller  than  trout  when 
first  hatched.  The  threads  spun  by  this  worm  seem  to 
be  much  finer  than  the  common  spider's  web,  and  they 


70 

are  not  visible  in  the  water  until  the  sediment  collects 
upon  them.  They  can  then  be  seen  very  plainly.  The 
webs  can  not  be  spun  where  there  is  much  current  and 
can  be  easily  seen  in  still  water  by  a  close  observer. 
/"But  after  all  the  principal  causes  of  the  death  of  trout 
/are,  first  and  foremost,  starvation,  nine  tenths  of  all  the 
young  that  die  are  literally  starved.  Secondly,  rough 
handling;  the  least  twisting  or  wringing  of  a  fish  with 
the  hands  will  kill  it.  Thirdly,  lack  of  sufficient  water, 
and  fourthly,  the  temperature  of  the  water.  These  four 
difficulties,  all  of  which  are  preventable  will  account  for 
the  death  of  most  of  the  fish  that  die. 

SALMON  PONDS. — In  order  to  hatch  salmon  it  is  neces- 
sary to  have  ponds  where  they  can  be  retained  till  they 
are  ripe  after  they  appear  in  the  spring,  although  as  they 
are  migratory,  it  is  impossible  to  keep  them  throughout 
the  vear.  The  pond  must  be  larger  than  for  trout  with  a 
larger  brook  or  race  connected  with  it.  Salmon  will 
even  seek  the  outlet  to  spawn.  They  may  be  captured  in 
nets  from  the  brook  if  there  is  no  race,  or  a  net  may  be 
attached  acrooS  a  salmon  river  and  the  fish  ponded  below 
it.  They  are  manipulated  precisely  like  trout,  and  the 
eggs  hatched  in  the  same  way.  The  young,  after  they  are 
turned  loose,  which  must  be  done  in  the  upper  waters  of 
the  salmon  rivers — as  they  live  in  the  strong  current, 
they  will  themselves  seek  the  smaller  tributaries — 
remain  in  fresh  water  for  one  or  two  years.  The  Cal- 
ifornia salmon  that  were  allowed  to  escape  in  Caledonia 
brook  because  there  was  no  demand  for  them  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  remained  there  tor  one  year,  and 
until  the  second  summer  after  the  winter  in  which  they 
were  hatched,  when  they  all  disappeared  never  to  return. 
They  evidently  started  to  go  to  the  sea,  but  as  they  had 
to  pass  over  the  falls  of  the  Genesee  which  are  some 


UNIVEESITT 


71 

ninety  six  feet  in  height,  they  may 
and  they  certainly  never  got  back.  They 
a  length  of  about  six  inches  and  were  a  beautiful  fish, 
bright,  lively,  quick,  and  of  fine  game  qualities,  for 
their  size.  If  they  were  retained  in  fresh  water  by 
proper  screens,  and  if  the  supply  horn  California  were 
to  be  relied  upon  as  permanent,  they  would  be  suitable 
for  stocking  private  preserves  and  would  furnish  excel- 
lent sport.  They  will  probably  not  attain  their  full  size 
in  confinement,  not  over  a  few  pounds,  and  those  that 
have  been  turned  loose  in  the  waters  of  our  State  and 
left  to  their  own  free  wills  have  disappeared  never  to  be 
seen  again.  They  may  come  back  and  we  hope  they 
will,  but  as  salmon  were  never  indigenous  to  the  Hud- 
son river  or  any  river  South  of  it  on  the  Atlantic  coast, 
there  is  no  certainty  of  their  adapting  themselves  to 
their  new  quarters  and  furnishing  us  with  breeding  fish 
on  our  coast. 

It  is  alleged  that  the  salmon  of  California  all  die  after 
breeding.  "  This,  if  true,  is  most  unusual  and  unnatural, 
and  does  not  accord  with  their  great  abundance  in  the 
Columbia,  the  McCloud  and  the  other  rivers  of  the 
Pacific  coast.  A  portion  of  them  undoubtedly  do  BO, 
as  their  journey  trom  the  sea  is  a  long  and  exhausting 
one,  but  many  others  no  doubt  escape  obbervation  and 
lingering  along,  gradually  recovering  from  the  labors  of 
parturition,  straggle  back  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  to  the 
ocean  their  home  of  health,  food  and  recovery.  It  is  hard- 
ly to  be  supposed  that  the  operations  of  the  United  States 
Commission  in  collecting  the  egg&  of  the  California  sal- 
mon can  be  long  continued.  Either  the  McCloud  river 
will  be  exhausted  by  the  excessive  drain  upon  it  or  the 
Commission  will  be  satisfied  with  the  results  of  the 
experiment.  It  was  probably  not  intended  to  establish 


72 

the  operation  as  a  permanent  undertaking.  Enough 
salmon  have  been  sent  to  the  Eastern  States  to  fairly 
test  the  question,  whether  their  streams  are  adapted  to 
the  residence  of  these  fish,  and  if  success  ensues,  the 
eiforts  of  the  Commission  will  be  more  than  rewarded, 
while  if  failure  shall  occur  there  will  be  no  reason  for 
further  drafts  upon  waters  in  which  salmo  quinnat  has 
his  natural  home.  It  is,  therefore,  questionable  whether 
private  fish  preserves  can  be  supplied  from  this  source 
either  through  national  or  individual  enterprise. 

There  is  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the  time  when  sal- 
mon go  to  the  sea,  and  the  length  of  time  they  remain 
there  before  they  return.  Of  European  and  Eastern 
salmon  it  has  been  supposed  that  about  one-half  go  to 
the  sea  in  the  Fall  one  year  and  a  half  after  they  were 
hatched  and  the  others  a  year  later,  but  some  fish  cul- 
turists  contend  that  they  all  remain  for  two  years,  and 
others  say  they  all  go  the  very  year  of  their  birth.  We 
know  that  California  salmon  which  were  hatched  in 
November  remained  through  the  Spring  and  Summer 
and  until  the  Summer  following,  and  then  disappeared 
substantially  together.  We  can  not  tell  where  they 
went  nor  what  they  did,  for  we  did  not  go  with  them. 

It  is  said  the  European  salmon  returns  six  months 
later,  and  in  the  spring  following  iiis  descent  when  he 
weighed  a  few  ounces,  in  the  shape  of  a  grilse  or  young 
male  salmon  just  arriving  at  the  age  of  puberty  of  as 
many  pounds  as  he  formerly  weighed  ounces.  That  he 
again  goes  to  the  sea  in  the  fall  and  the  following  spring 
reappears  as  a  full  grown  salmon  of  eight  or  ten  pounds. 
The  better  opinion  would  seem  however,  to  allow  them 
rather  more  time  to  attain  such  ample  dimensions,  as  an 
increase  from  ounces  to  pounds  is  almost  too  much  for  six 


73 

months  efforts,  even  of  the  most  ravenous  appetite.  As 
with  the  shad,  it  is  probable  that  the  females  develop  ova 
a  year  later  than  the  males  possess  milt. 

Mr.  Wilmot  the  able  and  experienced  fish  cnlturist  of 
Canada,  who  has  devoted  much  attention  to  the  breeding 
of  salmon  and  has  made  many  valuable  and  instructive 
experiments,  asserts  that  salmon  need  not  visit  the  fresh 
water,  but  will  mature  their  eggs  if  they  are  confined 
entirely  to  salt  water.  This  discovery  if  sustained  by 
fuller  investigation,  would  save  expense  and  facilitate 
operations,  and  in  order  not  to  do  him  injustice,  we  quote 
his  language  as  used  before  the  meeting  of  the  Fish  Cul- 
tural Association  in  1878.  without  however,  endorsing 
his  views  from  our  own  knowledge. 

"  I  should  feel  inclined  to  give  you  some  experiments 
I  was  engaged  in  last  year  with  regard  to  the  new  mode 
of  retaining  fish  in  salt  water.  The  eggs  matured  equally 
well  in  salt  water  as  in  fresh.  Of  course  it  is  well  under- 
stood that  for  many  years  back,  in  fact  for  centuries, 
naturalists  have  held  that  there  was  a  necessity  for  salmon 
to  go  to  fresh  water  to  mature  their  eggs.  Last  season  I 
was  under  the  impression  that  the  eggs  of  the  salmon 
would  mature  if  kept  in  salt  water  as  well  as  in  fresh, 
and  in  order  to  illustrate  that,  I  instructed  one  of  my 
assistants  to  retain  in  the  salt-water  pond  a  few  parent 
salmon,  while  I  put  the  rest  in  fresh-water  ponds  ;  and 
he  did  so,  and  took  the  eggs  from  them  at  the  same  time. 
There  was  no  perceptible  difference  noticed  in  the  hatch- 
ing of  the  eggs  from  those  fish  last  year.  That  being 
sufficient  for  me  to  go  upon,  this  season  I  retained  fifty 
or  sixty  salmon  in  the  salt-water  pond.  The  eggs  matured 
just  as  well  as  those  of  the  fish  in  the  fresh  water.  They 
were  manipulated,  and  showed  as  much  vitality  and  lite 
as  those  in  the  fresh  water.  They  were  hatched  in  fresh 
water,  but  the  fish  were  kept  in  the  salt-water  cove." 


CHAPTER   VII. 

ADULT   TROUT. 

SUPPLY  OF  WATER  FOR  GIVEN  NUMBER  OF  TROUT. — 
This  has  never  been  accurately  determined,  and  we  do 
not  know  that  any  general  rule  can  be  given  applicable 
to  all  times  and  places.  The  quantity  required  for  any 
given  number  depends  very  much  upon  the  temperature 
of  the  water, — a  certain  supply  in  cold  weather  sustaining 
many  more  in  good  condition  than  the  same  supply  in 
hot  weather.  It  is  the  same  with  trout  as  with  mankind. 
If  many  people  are  packed  together  in  a  close  room,  they 
will  soon  begin  to  suffer ;  but  will  not  feel  the  bad  effects 
so  soon  in  cold  weather  as  in  warm.  Now  the  water 
contains  the  air  upon  which  the  trout  lives,  and  the 
amount  requisite  depends  upon  the  amount  of  air  which 
is  in  the  water.  A  still  and  smoothly  flowing  stream, 
with  little  vegetation  in  it,  contains  the  least  amount  of 
air.  Hence  the  value  of  a  fall  of  water  between  the  ponds 
if  the  stream  is  small.  The  volume  of  water  required 
depends  also  upon  the  shape  of  the  ponds  and  upon  the 
size  of  the  fish.  We  can  only  say  about  what  quantity  is 
necessary  and  leave  each  owner  of  ponds  to  obseive  for 
himself  whether  more  or  less  fish  do  well  with  it. 

It  must  always  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  larger  the 
supply  of  water  the  better  for  the  trout ;  and  the  trout- 
breeder  on  a  large  scale  will  find  better  success  with 
small  ponds  and  large  supply  than  in  any  other  way. 
For  ten  thousand  fish  the  stream  should  not  be  less  than 
seven  inches  square  (that  is,  forty-nine  square  inches) 
and  would  be  still  better  if  it  was  seventy-five  square 
inches.  A  less  supply  will  perhaps  do ;  but  with  it  there 
is  danger  of  disease  and  death  to  the  fish.  We  will  say 


75 

then  a  supply  of  water  filling  a  pipe  five  inches  square 
(making  twenty-five  square  inches)  for  the  size  of  ponds 
shown  in  plate  on  a  previous  page  calculated  to  sustain 
five  thousand  fish  in  the  second,  and  two  thousand  fish  in 
the  third  ponds.  The  first  pond  to  receive  six  or  eight 
thousand  young  fish,  need  not  have  more  than  two  or 
three  square  inches  of  the  water.  This  estimate  of  num- 
ber of  fish  is  purposely  made  low.  More  fish  may  be 
able  to  live  with  the  supply  mentioned ;  but  the  number 
given  certainly  can. 

GROWTH  OF  TROUT. — It  is  impossible  to  tell  the  age  of 
a  trout  by  its  size,  as  its  size  depends  very  much  upon  the 
quantity  of  food  which  it  obtains.  It  is  a  general  rule 
that  with  good  feeding  a  trout  three  years  old  will  weigh 
one  pound.  They  have  been  known  to  live  for  years  at 
the  bottom  of  a  well,  where  the  supply  of  food  must  have 
been  extremely  limited,  and  remain  through  all  those 
years,  apparently  at  the  same  size.  Then  again,  with  good 
feeding,  they  will  more  than  double  their  weight  in  a  sin- 
gle season.  Trout  will  not  grow  so  fast  in  swift  running 
water  as  in  a  pond  The  largest  trout  are  never  caught  in 
narrow  parts  of  the  stream  where  the  water  runs  fast. 
But  where  the  stream  swells  out  into  a  dark  and  still  pool, 
there  the  patriarchs  are  found.  We  presume  that  the 
largest  trout  now  taken  in  this  country  are  found  in  the 
lakes  of  Maine.  Some  will  grow  much  faster  than  others 
under  any  circumstances.  A  few  will  always  look  lean 
and  hungry  no  matter  how  much  they  are  fed,  and  others 
seem  to  have  a  peculiar  knack  of  getting  fat.  Still  the 
rule  of  good  feeding  applies  equally  to  all.  They  will  not 
grow  so  fast  when  three  or  four  years  old  as  before ;  that 
is,  the  rate  of  increase  diminishes  with  age.  The  average 
age  of  trout  is  perhaps  twelve  or  fourteen  years.  On 
this  point  we  cannot  speak  with  certainty.  We  have 


76 

seen  trout  grown  from  the  egg  and  kept  in  confinement 
and  well  fed  on  beef  lights  and  hearts  that  weighed  in 
the  spring  after  the  year  they  were  born,  or  say  when  not 
over  fifteen  months  old,  as  much  as  three  quarters  of  a 
pound  in  some  instances,  and  all  averaging  a  half  pound 
apiece.  Judging  from  those  in  our  possession,  we  suppose 
a  trout  to  be  jn  its  prime  when  it  is  from  three  to  ten 
years  old.  The  size  is  largely  a  question  of  food. 
On  Long  Island  where  they  have  access  to  the  salt  water 
and  feed  on  the  numberless  small  fish  and  Crustacea 
abounding  in  the  sea,  the  trout  are  notoriously  large, 
while  in  the  mountain  streams,  where  the  food  is  scarce 
and  precarious,  it  is  just  as  well  known  that  the  trout 
are  small. 

The  size  to  which  a  trout  may  grow  is  not  very  well 
settled;  so  many  "fish  stories"  have  been  told  that  dis- 
credit is  thrown  even  upon  well  authenticated  assertions. 
Trout  may  in  exceptional  cases  and  in  large  waters  attain 
the  weight  of  eight  or  ten  pounds,  but  a  four  pound  trout- 
is  generally  considered  to  be  of  pretty  good  size.  This 
question  of  size  is  interesting  rather  to  the  sportsman 
that  to  the  trout  farmer.  It  is  considered  that  small 
trout  are  the  best  to  eat,  those  from  one-quarter  to  one- 
half  a  pound.  A  better  market  may  always  be  found  for 
fish  of  this  size  than  for  any  other.  There  is  only  one 
market  in  the  United  States  where  there  is  a  demand  for 
very  large  trout,  and  that  is  New  York,  where  the  largest 
trout  sell  the  most  readily.  Besides,  fish  of  small  size 
are  the  handiest  to  manage  on  the  spawning  bed,  and 
more  of  them  can  be  raised.  If  the  spawn  is  extracted 
by  hand,  the  difficulty  in  handling  a  two  pound  trout  is 
very  great  and  increases  very  fast  as  the  fish  grows  larger. 
Not  only  is  it  troublesome  to  handle  the  large  ones,  but 
the  danger  of  killing  them  is  much  greater  ;  so  that,  in 


77 

our  opinion,  from  one  quarter  to  one  pound  weight  is  as 
large  as  the  fish  farmer  should  attempt  to  grow  his  trout, 
unless  from  motives  of  curiosity  to  see  how  large  they 
will  get  to  be. 

As  to  the  growth  of  salmon,  we  can  say  that  in  con- 
finement in  small  stew  ponds  the  California  salmon  will 
attain  about  the  weight  of  three-quarters  of  a  pound,  and 
the  Kennebec  or  Eastern  salmon  a  little  more.  None  of 
the  California  salmon  had,  when  this  was  written,  pro- 
duced eggs  while  retained  in  the  fresh  water,  but  the 
milt  is  developed  and  has  been  used  for  fecundating 
trout  and  salmon  trout  eggs.  When  at  liberty  and 
allowed  to  visit  the  ocean,  salmon  grow  much  faster, 
and  we  take  the  following  extract  from  the  report  of 
Maine  Commissioners  of  Fisheries : 

"  SALMON.  In  our  issue  of  May  3d,  we  made  mention 
of  a  very  large  salmon  caught  at  Cape  Jellison,  Stock- 
ton, by  Josiah  Parsons,  and  purchased  by  Frank  Col 
lins,  of  this  city.  The  fish  measured  fifty  inches  in 
length  and  weighed  thirty-three  and  a  half  pounds. 
Attached  to  the  fish  was  a  metallic  tag  numbered  "1019," 
indicating  that  it  was  one  liberated  from  the  Bucksport 
Breeding  Works.  The  tag  was  iorwarded  to  Mr.  Atkins, 
the  superintendent  of  the  works,  who  keeps  a  record  of 
all  fish  used  for  spawing  purposes  and  liberated.  We  now 
chronicle  the  record  of  the  fish,  as  learned  from  a  letter 
from  Mr.  Atkins  to  Mr.  Collins,  He  writes  that  the 
salmon  was  liberated  at  Bucksport,  Nov.  10,  1875.  It 
was  a  female  fish,  thirty-nine  and  a  half  inches  in  length 
and  yielded  five  pounds  and  six  ounces  of  spawn,  or 
about  16,000  eggs.  After  spawning,  it  weighed  sixteen 
pounds  He  judges  that  in  the  preceding  Maj7,  (1875) 
the  fish  weighed  twenty-five  pounds.  Thus  the  fish  in 
two  years  had  grown  nearly  au  additional  foot  in  length 


78 

and  eight  and  a  half  pounds  in  weight.  One  important 
fact  in  the  habits  ot  the  salmon  has  been  demonstrated 
by  the  use  of  these  tags,  and  that  is,  that  the  fish,  after 
it  becomes  large,  does  not  visit  the  river  every  year,  as 
was  formerly  supposed,  but  only  every  second  year. 
Those  liberated  in  the  Penobscot  in  1873,  were  recap- 
tured in  1875,  and  those  let  loose  in  1875  are  now  being 
caught.  One  dollar  premium  is  paid  for  every  tag  thus 
found.  The  Penobscot  river  about  Bangor  is  reported 
to  be  full  of  young  salmon." 

But  it  is  very  probable  that  both  California  and  Pen- 
obscot salmon  will  spawn  in  fresh  water  if  they  have 
fair  range,  that  is  to  say,  a  pond  of  good  size.  In  Iowa, 
see  Report  of  '75-7,  p.  12,  the  Eastern  salmon  when  in 
a  pond,  were  said  to  have  grown  in  two  years  and  a  half 
to  weigh  from  two  and  a  half  to  seven  pounds ;  if  this 
is  so,  and  these  were  not  salmon  trout,  there  is  no  reason 
the  California  salmon  should  not  grow  as  large,  or  nearly 
so, 

COLOR. — A  trout  is  al  ways  the  color  of  the  bottom 
over  which  it  lies;  and  in  passing  from  one  color  of  bot- 
tom to  another,  it  will  change  in  a  minute.  The  trout 
in  deep  and  shaded  pools  are  notoriously  deeper  in  color, 
or  rather  darker  than  those  in  shallow,  bright  waters  ;  and 
they  not  only  look  darker  while  they  are  in  the  water, 
but  stay  darker  when  they  are  removed.  The  trout- 
raiser  must  make  his  ponds  accordingly :  shallow  and 
exposed  if  he  wishes  light-colored  trout ;  deep  and 
shaded  if  he  wishes  a  darker  color.  Fish  often  become 
blind  from  various  reasons  in  the  ponds,  and  when  they 
do  so  they  turn  very  dark — black,  one  would  almost 
say  by  comparison  with  the  others.  The  cause  of  this 
is  not  clearly  understood,  and  it  would  suggest  that  the 
fish  have  control  over  their  own  color  and  adapt  it  to 


79 

what  are  their  surroundings  or  are  supposed  by  them  to 
be.  The  trout  becoming  blind  imagines  that  everything 
about  him  is  black  and  so  assimilates  his  own  hue  to  it 
as  nearly  as  he  can.  It  is  possible  that  the  power  is 
bestowed  upon  these  creatures  as  a  defence  against  pre- 
dacious birds  which  can  not  see  them  so  readily  if  they 
are  the  color  of  the  bottom  on  which  they  are  lying, 

FOOD. — In  keeping  large  numbers  of  fish  either  for 
breeding  or  for  sale,  the  first  thing  to  be  determined  is, 
what  is  the  best  food  which  can  be  obtained  cheapest 
and  in  the  greatest  quantities.  This  question  is  impor- 
tant because  the  profit  depends  upon  it.  All  other 
circumstances  being  equal,  he  who  can  obtain  the  cheap- 
est food  will  make  fish  raising  pay  the  best.  In  France 
and  Germany  dead  animals  are  gathered  from  the  farms 
around  the  fish  establishments  and  made  into  pates,  or 
pies,  which  are  fed  to  the  fish  as  wanted.  However 
good  this  may  be  for  the  fish  it  is  somewhat  repugnant 
to  the  taste  of  the  fish  eater.  In  this  country  we  pur- 
sue a  cleaner  method.  The  pluck  of  animals  killed  (that 
is  the  lights,  liver  and  heart)  is  obtained  from  the  butchers. 
This  food  can  be  obtained  fresh  at  least  once  or  twice  a 
week  in  most  localities  and  kept  fresh  by  means  of  an  ice 
house.  In  fact  trout  will  not  eat  decayed  or  spoiled 
meat  unless  they  are  very  hungry.  They  are  very  dainty 
in  their  tastes  and  will  often  go  hungry  rather  than 
take  anything  which  they  do  not  fancy.  We  feed  meat 
to  them  raw. 

The  lights  should  be  given  to  the  larger  fish  as  it  can 
not  be  chopped  as  fine  as  the  liver  and  is  more  apt  to 
hang  in  strips  or  strings.  The  liver  which  can  easily  be 
cut  into  small  pieces  may  be  fed  to  the  smaller  fish. 
Trout  will  sometimes  choke  to  death ;  they  are  so  greedy 
that  they  attempt  to  swallow  a  very  large  piece  of  food 


80 

and  it  sticks  in  their  throats  and  kills  them.  Often  it 
it  is  caught  in  their  teeth  and  thus  prevented  from  going 
down  the  throat,  or  it  gets  into  their  gills  and  stops 
their  breathing.  They  will,  when  choking,  come  to  the 
top  of  the  water,  and  may  sometimes  be  saved  by  taking 
the  piece  out  of  their  throats,  or  pushing  it  down.  But 
the  best  remedy  is  to  chop  the  meat  fine,  say  one-half  or 
one-quarter  inch  squares  for  two  and  three  years  old. 

No  machine  which  we  have  ever  tried  would  do  the 
work  of  chopping  to  our  satisfaction.  A  sausage  ma- 
chine runs  the  food  together  and  mashes  it,  and  the 
meat  cutters,  which  do  the  best,  require  cleaning  and 
sharpening  so  often  that  they  are  only  a  nuisance.  The 
best  thing  we  have  ever  found  is  a  butcher's  block,  or 
log  of  wood  two  and  a  half  feet  high  on  which  to  cut, 
and  a  very  heavy  knife  or  light  butcher's  cleaver.  These 
instruments  are  very  simple,  not  liable  to  get  out  of 
order,  and  do  the  work  required  of  them  in  the  best 
manner,  and  with  no  more  labor  than  a  machine  would 
require.  -Sometimes  two  or  three  knives  are  fastened 
together  to  make  the  work  go  more  expeditiously  ;  but 
one  is  best,  or  at  most  one  in  each  hand. 

Fish  fed  on  liver  or  lights  are  not  as  good  eating  as 
wild  fish ;  this  is  especially  so  of  trout,  which  should 
never  be  sent  to  market  or  the  table  directly  from  the 
stew  pond.  But  they  soon  recover  their  flavor  when 
they  are  turned  loose,  and  made  to  seek  their  natural 
food  in  a  natural  way. 

Any  kind  of  meat  is  good  for  food.  Trout  are  carni- 
vorous and  will  not  eat  vegetables  of  any  kind  that  we 
have  ever  tried.  We  feed  them  lights  and  liver  because 
it  is  the  least  expensive  food  we  can  find  in  large 
quantities,  and  answers  a  very  good  purpose.  In  their 


81 

natural  state  trout  feed  upon  insects  of  all  descriptions 
which  abound  in  or  near  the  water ;  worms  ot  all  sorts, 
from  the  angle  worm  to  the  caterpillar,  which  the  wind 
shakes  from  the  trees  bordering  the  stream  into  the  water, 
are  eagerly  taken.  Flies  ot  every  kind  which  either  drop 
down  upon  the  surface  of  the  water  to  lay  their  eggs,  or 
may  happen  to  fall  into  it,  are  quickly  devoured.  Young 
fish  which  may  be  in  the  stream  serve  for  food ; 
so  do  the  grasshoppers  and  beetles  which  fall  into 
the  water,. and  even  the  crawfish  is  not  spared.  If  any 
one  will  examine  the  bottom  of  a  good  trout  stream  care- 
fully, he  will  find  every  stick,  stone  and  bunch  ot  moss  in 
it  covered  and  filled  with  insects  ot  various  kinds.  If 
you  look  at  the  bottom  ot  the  creek,  also,  when  it  is  free 
from  moss  and  sticks,  you  will  see  that  in  the  summer 
time  it  presents  a  curious  mottled  appearance,  as  if  it  were 
having  an  eruption  of  some  kind;  these  protuberances 
are  caused  by  the  larvae  of  water  flies,  which,  after  a  time, 
rise  to  the  surface,  and  then  breaking  their  shell  or  case, 
for  the  first  time,  spread  their  wings  and  fly  away.  On 
these  before  they  have  assumed  the  fly-state,  the  trout 
feed ;  and  the  eggs  of  water  flies,  together  with  minute 
insects  and  worms  are  the  special  food  of  the  very  young 
trout. 

Fish  of  any  kind  are  a  very  good  food  for  trout.  If 
they  are  small  they  maybe  put  into  the  water  whole,  the 
trout  will  take  them  all  the  better  if  they  are  alive. 
Any  coarse  fish  which  can  be  obtained  cheaply  and  in 
sufficient  quantities  may  be  chopped  up  fine  and  used  as 
food.  As  we  said  before,  they  will  not  eat  carrion  unless 
pressed  by  hunger.  They  will  eat  a  live  trout,  but  we 
have  never  known  an  instance  of  their  eating,  or  even 
touching  a  dead  one.  If  any  way  could  be  devised  of 
raising  flies,  or  shrimp,  or  various  kinds  of  insects  (their 


82 

natural  food)  in  sufficient  quantities  and  at  little  expense, 
this  would  be  the  best  of  all.  A  change  of  food  would 
also  do  them  good,  but  we  find  that  they  will  not  readily 
change  their  food. 

As  to  the  quantity  of  food  necessary  for  a  given  number 
of  trout.  This  is  difficult  to  give  exactly  as  it  will  vary 
with  the  size  of  the  fish  and  the  season  of  the  year,  more 
being  required  in  moderate  weather  than  when  it  is  very 
hot  or  very  cold.  For  one  thousand  three  year  olds,  about 
five  pounds  of  light  or  liver  per  day;  for  two  year  olds  three 
pounds ;  but  a  very  little  trial  will  show  just  how  much  to 
feed  them.  Feeding  once  each  day  will  keep  the  trout, 
over  one  year  old  in  good  condition.  Feed  slowly,  and  as 
soon  as  thej'  begin  to  refuse  the  food  stop  feeding  them, 
then  you  have  the  measure  and  feed  a  little  less  than  this 
quantity  every  day.  We  say  a  little  less  because  we  have 
known  cases  in  which  owners  of  ponds  being  over  anxious 
to  fatten  their  trout,  have  killed  them  by  over-feeding. 
Still  this  does  not  often  happen,  especially  if  they  are  fed 
regularly.  A  trout  after  long  abstinence  will  gorge  him- 
self to  repletion  ;  but  will  not  kill  himself  to-day  if  he  is 
reasonably  sure  of  to-morrow's  dinner.  All  animals  ap- 
pear to  be  wiser  than  men  in  this  matter,  and  it  is  very 
seldom  that  they  will  eat  enough  to  do  them  injury  no 
matter  how  much  may  be  given  them. 

Salmon  and  salmon  trout  as  we  have  heretofore  re- 
marked will,  when  they  are  young  accept  food  that  is 
rather  less  finely  prepared.  Their  food  is  of  the  same 
general  kind,  but  as  they  are  larger  fish  they  need  more 
of  it.  Salmon  trout  can  be  kept  in  confinement  until 
they  weigh  ten  or  more  pounds,  whereas  the  largest  tame 
trout  we  have  had  did  not  exceed  four,  but  few  reached 
three,  it  being  doubtful  whether  fish  ever  attain  as  full 
development  in  the  domesticated  as  in  the  wild  state. 


As  salmon  trout  will  grow  to  weigh  a  hundred  pounds  in 
Lake  Superior,  it  is  probable  they  may  reach  twenty  in 
suitable  preserves,  although  the  largest  we  have  is  not 
over  nine,  but  he  is  healthy  and  is  still  growing.  Salmon 
trout  have  been  taught  to  eat  trout  that  died  of  a  natural 
death,  although  they  at  first  utterly  refused  such  food 
they  came  in  the  end  to  accept  it  willingly.  Trout  seven 
inches  long  have  been  disposed  of  in  that  way. 

Trout  and  salmon,  the  latter  especially,  will  get  so 
tame  after  a  time  that  they  will  take  the  food  out  ot  your 
fingers,  in  fact  they  will  take  the  fingers  too.  Their  teeth 
are  sharp  and  make  scratches  like  needles.  They  may 
be  taught  to  jump  for  their  food  by  holding  it  a  short  dis- 
tance above  the  water,  or  may  be  made  to  come  up  and 
take  it  out  of  the  pan  you  are  holding.  Feed  in  the 
middle  ot  the  day  when  the  sun  is  well  up,  any  time 
from  ten  to  three  is  good.  Make  it  a  general  rule  to  feed 
slowly  and  give  them  as  much  as  they  will  eat  without 
wasting. 

Although  trout  and  salmon  become  so  tame  that  they 
may  be  made  pets,  some,  hybrids  in  the  state  hatching 
works  are  so  &hy  that  they  keep  as  much  as  possible'  out 
of  sight,  and  can  hardly  be  fed.  They  were  a  cross  of 
the  milt  of  the  salmon  with  the  brook  trout  eggs,  and  per- 
haps knew  that  they  were  monstrosities.  There  is  a 
board  covering  to  the  edges  of  the  preserve  in  which  they 
are  kept,  and  they  hide  under  it  and  run  hither  and 
thither  in  fright  and  confusion  if  any  one  attempts  to 
get  a  close  view  of  them. 

Salted  food  has  been  tried  for  the  feeding  of  trout,  but 
not  with  satisfactory  results.  They  do  not  seem  to  like 
it  although  it  is  possible  they  might  be  accustomed  to 
it  if  any  important  advantage  was  connected  with  its 
use.  It,  however,  ordinarily  costs  as  much  or  more  than 


84 

the  fresh  meats,  and  cannot  be  superior  to  them.  There 
is  much  of  the  offal  of  large  cities  which  may  yet  be 
utilized  as  fish  food.  Where  it  is  allowed  to  go  to  waste 
and  run  into  the  rivers  adjacent  to  markets,  it  invariably 
attracts  wild  fish  to  such  places,  and  if  it  is  satisfactory 
food  for  them,  it  would  be  equally  agreeable  to  their 
tame  and  less  particular  brethren.  The  fish  breeder 
must  not  rely  upon  getting  his  food  of  any  kind  for  noth- 
ing, as  although  most  country  butchers  throw  away  their 
beef  lights,  they  will  put  a  price  on  them  the  moment 
they  find  they  are  in  demand.  Three  cents  a  pound  is 
the  price  usually  asked  for  such  food,  and  at  that  it  is 
doubtful  whether  trout  can  be  bred  and  raised  for  the 
market  even  when  they  can  be  sold  for  a  dollar  a  pound. 

TEMPERATURE  OF  WATER. — The  colder  the  water  is, 
down  to  forty  degrees,  the  better  the  trout  will  do. 
They  will  die  in  the  ponds  if  the  water  rises  to  seventy 
decrees,  unless  there  is  a  spring  in  the  pond,  or  colder 
water  into  which  they  can  get.  We  have  often  heard  or 
seen  the  statement  that  fish  could  be  kept  in  a  frozen 
state  a  long  while,  and  then  thawed  out  and  be  as  lively 
as  ever.  Our  experience  is  against  this.  Fish  may  be 
frozen,  so  that  a  thin  coat  of  ice  forms  over  them,  and  so 
long  as  they  can  be  bent  they  will  thaw  out  and  will  re- 
cover;  but  if  they  are  once  frozen  solid  or  stiff  through- 
out, they  are  dead,  and  cannot  be  brought  back  to  life. 
If  the  ponds  freeze  over  in  winter,  it  is  no  sign  that  the 
water  under  the  ice  is  below  thirty-two  degrees.  If  it 
was,  the  water  in  the  ponds  would  freeze  solid.  Unless 
the  water  is  taken  close  to  a  spring  and  much  water  runs 
through  the  ponds,  the  surface  will  freeze  over ;  but  this 
will  not  injure  the  fish,  as  the  water  below  will  be  much 
warmer  than  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere ;  and 


85 

the  ice  which  forms  over  the  pond  serves  to  keep  the 
water  below  from  being  made  colder  by  contact  with  the 
air. 

If  the  water  is  so  sluggish  as  to  be  likely  to  rise  above 
seventy  degrees  in  summer,  the  ponds  may  be  shaded  in 
some  way.  Trees  and  bushes  look  very  nicely  about 
the  borders  of  the  ponds,  and  are  very  valuable  so  far  as 
ornament  is  concerned.  But  there  are  certain  objections 
to  their  use  which  will  banish  them  pretty  thoroughly 
from  the  grounds  of  the  practical  trout-raiser.  One  ob- 
jection is  that  the  leaves,  in  autumn  especially,  clog  up 
the  screens,  and  demand  constant  attention  to  prevent 
an  overflow  of  the  water  and  trout.  Or  the  leaves  fall 
to  the  bottom  and  decaying  there,  foul  the  pond. 
The  roots  of  the  trees  also  will  force  their  way  towards 
the  water,  and  break  the  walls  or  banks  of  the  pond. 
If  it  is  necessary  to  shade  the  ponds,  floats  may  be  used, 
made  of  boards  nailed  together  and  moored  in  some  con- 
venient place;  but  the  best  plan  of  shading  is  by  light 
covers  placed  on  beams  running  across  the  pond.  If  the 
ponds  are  very  large  the  floats  will  have  to  be  used. 
But  the  ponds  must  not  be  made  large.-  We  have  said 
that  trout  would  not  live  in  water  which  was  raised 
above  the  temperature  of  seventy  degrees,  and  would  do 
better  in  water  at  forty  degrees.  This  settles  the  ques- 
tion as  to  how  far  south  trout  will  live  in  the  ordinary 
rivers. 

California  salmon  will  stand  a  much  higher  tempera- 
ture than  trout.  The  McCloud  river  from  which  the 
eggs  were  obtained  that  have  been  distributed  by  the 
United  States  Fish  Commissioner  through  the  eastern 
states,  often  rises  to  80  degrees,  and  occasionally  as  high 
as  83  degrees.  Its  temperature  through  a  large  part  of 
the  year  is  over  TO  degrees,  both  at  the  surface  and  at 


86 

the  bottom,  and  yet  the  salmon  did  not  seem  to  be  in- 
jured by  it.  We  have  kept  young  California  salmon  in 
a  preserve  when  the  water  rose  above  80  degrees  in  tem- 
perature, and  although  the  inlet  was  open  and  they  could 
have  gone  out,  as  many  of  them  did,  others  remained 
until  we  thought  it  better  to  drive  them  out  by  drawing 
ott'  the  water.  However  this  temperature  is  not  safe 
for  them  unless  there  is  a  large  body  ot  water  or  consid- 
erable motion  to  it  which  gives  it  life  and  enables  the 
fish  to  live  in  it  longer.  In  an  aquarium  in  which  there 
were  pairs  of  Kennebec  and  California  salmon,  brook- 
trout,  salmon-trout  and  grayling,  when  the  water  rose  to 
74  degrees  they  were  greatly  distressed,  coming  to  the 
surface  and  gasping.  When  it  reached  75  degrees  they 
all  died. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  in  ponds  there  is  often  a 
spring  to  which  the  fish  can  have  recourse  and  which 
will  save  their  lives.  It  is  not  always  possible  to  judge 
by  the  temperature  of  the  surface,  for  that  below  may  be 
lower,  but  it  is  better  to  be  on  the  safe  side  as  far  as  pos- 
sible. The  larger  the  fish  the  more  they  will  suffer  and 
the  sooner  they  will  die.  They  exhaust  the  oxygen 
much  more  rapidly  than  the  fry. 

Brook  trout  are  only  suitable  for  clear,  cold  water,  of 
which  the  temperature  never  goes  above  70°.  Salmon 
trout  will  live  only  in  clear,  cold,  deep  lakes.  They  need 
the  purest  water  of  any  fish  in  this  country.  In  the 
aquarium  above  referred  to  were  put  brook  trout,  salmon 
trout,  greyling,  California  and  Kennebec  salmon  and  Cali- 
fornia brook  trout,  and  as  the  water  became  warm  the 
salmon  trout  began  to  suffer  first,  and  died  before  the 
mercury  went  up  to  74°.  The  brook  trout  went  next, 
the  greyling  next,  the  California  brook  trout  fouith,  the 
Kennebec  salmon  fifth,  and  the  California  salmon  last. 


87 

The  salmon  trout  died  twelve  hours  before  any  of  the 
rest,  and  all  of  the  others  died  within  four  hours  of  each 
other.  All  of  the  full  spawning  fish  want  clear,  cold 
water.  Whitefish  will  not  live  in  water  above  72°  We 
have  seen  these  taken  in  a  seine,  and  when  they  got  into 
shallow  water  where  the  temperature  was  74°  ten  rods 
from  the  shore,  the  fish  began  to  "turn  up,"  and  were  all 
dead  when  they  were  hauled  up  on  the  shore. 

DISEASES  AND  ENEMIES. — The  diseases  to  which  adult 
trout  are  subject  are  numerous  and  often  fatal.  Some 
times  a  trout  will  be  observed  to  have  a  white  fungus 
growing  upon  it  in  spots.  This  will  spread  over  the  fish 
until  it  dies.  Sometimes  fish  will  turn  to  a  black  color. 
This  always  seems  to  be  an  indication  of  blindness,  as  we 
have  never  observed  this  peculiar  color  unless  the  fish 
was  partially  or  totally  blind.  The  fungus  which  grows 
upon  the  fish  is  probably  not  a  disease,  but  is  caused  by, 
or  is  the  indication  of  a  disease.  Nothing  is  known 
about  remedies.  If  only  a  few  trout  are  affected,  take 
them  out  as  they  will  be  sure  to  die.  If  the  trout  begin 
to  die  in  numbers,  change  them  to  another  pond,  if  possi- 
ble, or  give  them  more  water.  This  is  all  we  can  do  for 
them.  The  dead  trout  should  be  taken  out  of  the  pond  as 
fast  as  they  are  discovered.  They  will  rise  to  the  surface 
only  in  very  rare  cases,  but  generally  sink  to  the  bottom, 
and  if  there  is  much  moss  in  the  pond  they  are  10st  to 
sight,  and  decaying  on  the  bottom  will  foul  the  pond. 
If  there  is  much  sickness  among  the  trout,  we  generally 
consider  it  a  sign  of  insufficient  water. 

There  are  but  few  enemies  of  trout  in  artificial  ponds. 
If  the  ponds  are  near  the  house,  and  people  constantly 
about  them,  there  will  be  no  trouble  with  the  birds 
which  usually  prey  upon  fish — such  as  the  kingfisher, 
fish-hawk  and  crane.  Even  if  the  ponds  are  some  dis- 


88 

tance  from  the  house,  the  water  will  probably  be  too 
deep  for  the  fish-hawk  and  kingfisher  to  do  much  mischief, 
as  it  is  only  in  shallow  water  that  they  can  be  certain  of 
their  prey.  Cranes  will  wade  into  the  water  and  take 
all  that  comes  within  reach  of  their  long  bills — whether 
frogs,  snakes  or  fish.  But  they  are  very  few  in  number, 
and  the  trout  are  wary.  If  any  of  these  birds  appear, 
shoot  them.  Muskrats  sometimes  get  into  the  ponds. 
They  can  not  often  catch  the  trout,  but  will  destroy  the 
young  and  the  spawn  if  they  can  get  at  the  troughs,  and 
they  eat  many  of  the  insects  on  which  the  trout  feed, 
besides  they  makes  holes  in  the  banks  of  the  ponds  and 
let  the  water  off.  A  few  traps  will  soon  dispose  of  them. 
It  may  be  worth  while  to  mention  here  the  manner  of 
catching  them.  Find  out  the  places  where  the  muskrats 
go  into  the  ponds.  They  will  make  a  little  bare  path, 
or  run  on  the  edge  of  the  bank,  by  always  going  in  and 
out  at  the  same  place.  Then  set  a  trap  (a  common  game 
trap,  such  as  is  sold  in  all  country  stores)  in  the  water,  so 
that  the  plate  of  the  trap  will  come  in  the  middle  of 
the  run  and  about  a  half  an  inch  under  water,  taking 
care  to  place  the  jaws  of  the  trap  in  such  a  direction 
that  when  shut  they  will  be  in  a  line  with  the  run. 
Then  stake  the  chain  into  deep  water.  No  bait  is 
necessary.  If  any  bait  is  used  a  sweet  apple  or  parsnip 
may  be  stuck  on  a  stick  and  the  stick  stuck  into  the 
bank  so  as  to  bring  the  apple  just  over  the  jaws  of  the 
trap  when  closed.  The  muskrat  conies  through  his  run, 
steps  on  the  pan  of  the  trap  and  springs  it.  He  tries 
to  take  it  with  him  to  the  shore.  If  he  succeeds  in 
doing  this,  he  will  likely  get  out  in  some  way;  for 
instance,  if  he  is  caught  by  the  leg,  he  will  sit  down  and 
knaw  it  off,  in  order  to  get  free.  But  as  the  trap  is 
staked  out  into  the  water,  he  can  not  get  to  shore,  and 


89 

will  be  drowned  by  his  struggles  and  by  the  weight  of 
the  trap,  for  he  can  not  survive  under  water  very  long 
without  rising  to  the  furface  for  a  supply  of  air. 

Water  snakes  can  not  do  any  damage  to  the  large 
trout,  but  will  certainly  eat  all  the  little  fish  they  can 
get  hold  of.  Even  if  they  do  no  injury,  they  are  not  of 
any  advantage,  and  may  as  well  be  disposed  of. 

Cray  fish  very  seldom  eat  the  young  fish.  They  will 
lie  on  the  bottom,  hidden  in  the  mud,  with  the  joint  of 
the  claw  wide  open  and  ready  ;  then  if  any  unfortunate 
troutling  passes  within  reach,  his  doom  is  sealed.  Cray- 
fish do  much  more  mischiet  by  their  burrowing  propen- 
sities. They  will  make  holes  out  of  the  pond,  or  from 
one  pond  to  another,  through  which  the  water  escapes, 
and  very  often  the  young  fish  also.  The  cray-fish  is  the 
scavenger  of  the  water,  and  it  may  be  a  question  whether 
a  few  of  them  will  not  do  as  much  good,  by  disposing 
of  decaying  animal  matter,  as  they  do  harm,  by  destroy- 
ing a  few  fish  ;  but  they  will  eat  spawn  and  the  fry  still 
encumbered  with  the  sac.  The  greatest  tear  of  all  fish- 
raisers  is  that  their  fish  will  be  stolen  at  night.  A  few 
old  logs,  stones  and  branches  of  trees  strewn  on  the  bottom 
of  the  pond,  will  make  it  impossible  to  drag  the  pond  with 
a  seine.  Catching  them  by  hook  and  line  is  the  only 
means  ;  and  if  the  fish  are  well  fed  daily,  it  will  take 
more  time  to  catch  a  mess  than  thieves  can  usually  spare. 

Trout  also  find  enemies  in  their  own  kind.  The  only 
way  to  stop  them  from  feeding  on  each  other  is  to  give 
them  plenty  of  other  food.  It  may  be  as  well,  perhaps, 
not  to  feed  them  on  small  fish,  unless  these  are  chopped 
up  fine,  for  the  reason  that  trout  soon  accustom  them- 
selves to  certarh  kinds  of  food,  and  will  refuse  anything 
strange.  If  they  get  into  the  habit  of  feeding  on  small 
fish,  they  will  not  be  likelv  to  make  a  distinction 


90 

between  trout  and  any  other  fish.  Certain  old  trout 
also  become  unusually  destructive  to  their  brethren. 
Like  the  u rogue-elephants,"  and  the  "man-eaters," 
among  the  lions,  they  become  morose  and  sullen,  live 
apart  from  the  rest,  and  make  war  upon  everything 
around.  When  you  find  one  of  this  kind,  spear  him  at 
once,  as  the;*e  is  no  cure,  and  he  will  invariably  destroy 
more  than  he  is  worth.  It  may  be  worth  while  to  men- 
tion here  how  one  trout  eats  another.  An  old  trout  will 
catch  a  smaller  one,  in  some  cases  one-half  of  its  own 
size,  by  the  middle,  and  with  its  strong  jaws  hold  it  fast 
and  swim  around  with  it,  while  the  prisoner  worries  and 
struggles  to  get  free.  This  performance  lasts  until  the 
victim  gets  loose  or  is  exhausted,  being  continued  some- 
times for  half  a  day.  If  the  little  fellow  gets  free,  it  is 
usually  only  to  die  a  lingering  death  ;  for  the  breaking 
of  the  skin  is  fatal.  When  it  is  exhausted,  the  old  rogue, 
dropping  his  victim,  which  until  this  time  he  has  held 
by  the  middle,  siezes  it  again  by  the  head,  and  slowly 
swallows  it  whole ;  the  operation  sometimes  taking 
several  hours,  and  while  in  progress  making  the  fish  look 
as  it  had  no  head,  but  only  a  tail  at  each  end. 

In  some  localities  minks  are  very  destructive.  These 
animals  are  particularly  to  be  dreaded  because  they  do 
not  only  kill  what  fish  they  want  to  eat,  but  will  take" 
out  fifty  or  one  hundred  before  they  stop,  and  having 
found  a  well  stocked  pond,  they  will  resort  to  it  again 
and  again.  The  best  way  to  trap  them  is  as  follows : 
Make  a  box  eighteen  inches  long  by  six  inches  broad  and 
deep,  leaving  one  end  open,  set  a  common  game  trap  (such 
as  used  for  catching  muskrats)  in  the  open  end  of  the  box 
in  such  a  position  that  when  the  jaws  are  Closed  they  will 
be  in  a  line  with  the  length  of  the  trap.  If  it  is  set  cross- 
ways  it  will  be  apt  to  throw  the  mink  out  instead  of  catch- 


91 

ing  it.  Put  the  bait  in  the  further  end 
of  meat  or  a  dead  fish  will  answer  for  bait-— set  tl 
and  cover  it  over  with  a  large  leaf.  Now,  there  is  only 
one  way  for  the  mink  to  get  at  the  bait,  which  is  by  walk- 
ing over  the  trap.  Some  trout-breeders  also  try  to  raise 
mink  for  profit  as  their  skins  are  valuable ;  but  their 
habits  of  eating  fish  and  their  custom  of  getting  out  ot 
almost  any  box  or  yard  in  which  they  are  confined  do 
not  make  them  agreeable  neighbors  for  the  trout. 

The  fish  farmer  can  always  tell  by  looking  at  his  trout 
in  the  morning  whether  they  have  been  disturbed  during 
the  night.  If  they  have  been  molested,  whether  by  birds, 
mink  or  men,  they  will  appear  excited  and  frightened. 
The  water  will  be  discolored  by  the  mud  which  they  stir 
up  as  they  dart  back  and  forth  near  the  bottom,  and  the 
trout  will  be  nearly  all  hidden  under  stones  or  in  the 
moss. 

Some  writers  on  the  subject  of  the  diseases  of  trout 
have  recommended  the  use  of  a  salt  water  bath.  The 
fish,  when  they  are  affected,  whether  old  or  young,  are 
transferred  to  a  tank  into  which  salt  is  gradually  intro- 
duced, and  it  is  said  that  this  treatment  will  cure  fungus. 
It  is  a  dangerous  remedy,  a  sort  of  kill  or  cure,  that  in 
desperate  straits  may  be  resorted  to,  but  such  straits 
should  never  be  permitted  to  arise.  It  will  unquestion- 
ably kill  parasites,  but  beyond  that  we  have  little  faith  in 
it.  The  large  fish  may  occasionally  be  cured  by  rubbing 
with  sand,  but  both  of  these  are  heroic  measures.  Al- 
though the  fungus  may  be  removed  by  the  operation,  it 
is  almost  certain  to  grow  again,  and  usually  more  ex- 
tensively than  at  first. 

There  is  one  kind  of  trout  which  we  do  not  possess, 
of  which  we  would  very  much  like  a  specimen.  We 


92 

mean  the  trout  which  comes  to  dinner  at  the  sound  of  a 
bell,  or  at  the  call  or  whistle  of  his  feeder.  Many  writers 
about  fish  tell  us  to  avoid  all  noises  around  the  ponds  lest 
they  frighten  the  fish,  and  to  be  particular!}?  careful  never 
to  fire  a  gun  on  the  grounds  lest  the  delicate  ear  of  the 
trout  should  be  too  much  affected.  Trout  cannot  hear 
the  sound"  of  a  bell,  nor  the  voice  of  their  feeder,  nor  even 
his  whistle,  neither  will  they  stir  one  traction  of  an  inch 
at  the  sound  of  a  gun  fired  one  foot  above  their  heads  ; 
but  the  sight  of  a  trout  is  very  keen.  His  enemies  are 
to  be  avoided  by  the  aid  of  his  eyes,  and  the  trout  starts 
and  runs  at  every  sudden  motion,  whether  it  is  the 
shadow  of  the  angler,  or  the  falling  of  a  leaf  upon  the 
water.  He  will  be  started  by  concussion,  by  a  blow  on 
the  water,  or  a  heavy  step  on  the  ground,  but  will  mind 
no  noise  that  is  not  accompanied  with  some  demonstration 
that  he  can  either  see  or  feel.  The  angler  may  talk  as 
loudly  as  he  please,  but  he  must  approach  the  bank  of 
the  trout  brook  on  tiptoe  and  hide  behind  any  bush  or 
tree.  Fish  are  undoubtedly  brought  to  the  shore  at 
dinner  time  by  the  ringing  of  a  bell,  but  it  is  the  motion, 
not  the  sound  which  attracts  them.  If  the  attendant  will 
stand  out  of  sight,  he  may  ring  till  he  is  tired  before  his 
guests  will  put  in  an  appearance. 

OTHER  FISH  WITH  TROUT. — It  is  not  well  to  have  other 
fish  in  the  same  pond  with  trout,  they  will  probably  des- 
troy one  another.  Fish  of  any  sort  will  eat  the  young  ot 
all  kinds.  Even  the  harmless  and  innocent  looking  gold- 
fish will  take  young  trout  with  a  relish.  A  few  stickle- 
backs will  probably  get  into  the  ponds,  but  they  will  do  no 
hurt  unless  they  get  among  the  babies  two  months  old ; 
the  large  trout  will  soon  clear  them  out  of  their  vicinity. 
Let  the  pollywogs  wiggle  their  way  in  peace,  and  when 
they  get  to  be  frogs  sell  them  or  eat  them, 


93 

Eels  are  exceedingly  destructive  in  all  waters  to  which 
they  have  access,  and  it  is  impossible  to  keep  them  out, 
as  they  can  go  up  the  perpendicular  sides  of  water  gates 
and  possibly  over  the  sides  of  the  darn  when  wet  with  a 
heavy  rain.  The  only  plan  is  to  use  eel-pots  and  keep 
down  their  numbers  as  much  as  possible.  They  will 
follow  the  fry  into  the  smallest  rivulets,  and  on  one 
occasion  we  saw  an  eel  slash  around  in  a  little  brook  so 
as  to  stir  up  the  mud  and  foul  the  water,  that  he  might 
make  sure  of  his  prey  which  had  become  frightened  and 
was  trying  to  escape  from  him.  He  finds  his  food  by 
sense  of  smell  when  the  water  is  roily. 

As  for  goldfish,  in  the  year  1865  we  had  one  hundred 
goldfish  in  a  pond  thirty  feet  long,  twelve  feet  wide,  and 
from  four  feet  deep  to  shallow  places  three  inches  deep. 
We  put  4,000  young  brook  trout  in  the  pond,  and  in  three 
days  the  goldfish  had  eaten  every  one  of  them.  The 
little  trout  would  hide  themselves  in  the  holes  in  the 
stone  wall,  where  they  were  chased  by  the  goldfish,  which 
would  lie  at  the  hole  for  hours,  watching  for  a  trout ; 
and  when  the  trout  made  his  appearance  they  would  go 
for  him  as  a  cat  does  for  a  mouse. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  HOLTON  AND  OTHER  HATCHING 
BOXES. 

One  ot  the  most  valuable,  practical  inventions  in  refer- 
ence to  the  hatching  of  the  eggs  of  the  salmonidae  was 
made  by  Marcellus  Holton,  while  in  the  employ  of  the 
New  York  fishery  commission.  It  consisted  of  a  device 
for  utilizing  the  upward  flow  of  water  among  and  through 
the  eggs.  It  had  been  often  noticed  that  trout  sought  as 


94: 

a  favorite  locality  for  depositing  their  eggs  the  parts  ol 
the  bottom  of  the  ponds  or  streams  through  which  a 
spring  made  its  way.  Nature  taught  them  thus,  to 
secure  a  regular  flow  of  clear,  unpolluted  water  of  even 
temperature,  working  its  way  between  the  gravel  and 
eggs  of  which  their  nests  were  composed,  and  much  larger 
percentage  of  the  spawn  deposited  in  such  places  hatched 
than  when  it  was  under  any  other  natural  conditions,  for 
it  was  certain  to  receive  precisely  what  it  needed,  a 
steady  current  of  fresh  and  well  aerated  water,  not  in- 
creased or  diminished  in  volume,  not  fouled  by  rains,  not 
warmed  by  the  sun  or  cooled  by  frost,  and  not  bearing 
with  it  the  germs  of  fungus  or  disease.  Changes  of  tem- 
perature or  condition  are  injurious  to  spawn,  and  by  this 
plan,  changes  are  avoided. 

Holton  in  the  arrangement  of  the  hatching  box  which 
lie  invented,  created  an  artificial  spring  of  great  volume, 
conveniently  located  and  thoroughly  under  control.  It 
was  impossible  to  deposit  the  eggs  over  the  natural 
springs,  so  the  springs  were  brought  into  the  hatching 
house.  This  was  done  by  leading  the  water  properly 
screened  through  a  pipe  into  the  bottom  of  a  box,  and 
allowing  it  to  pass  out  over  the  top.  A  deflector  was 
placed  over  the  aperture  in  the  bottom  so  as  to  break  the 
current  and  distribute  the  flow  equally  in  all  directions, 
and  trays  were  laid,  one  upon  another  in  the  box  so  that 
the  water  would  have  to  rise  through  them  all  before  it 
could  escape,  and  the  eggs  being  on  these,  must  neces- 
sarily be  kept  directly  under  the  influence  of  a  steady 
but  gentle  and  natural  current. 

These  boxes  were  constructed  especially  for  the  incuba- 
tion of  white  fish  and  shad  eggs,  although  salmon,  salmon 
trout,  etc.,  can  just  as  well  be  hatched  with  them.  They  are 
about  twenty  inches  square  and  two  feet  deep,  and  will 


95 

hold  eighteen  wire  trays  placed  one  upon  another.  The 
water  enters  from  the  bottom,  passes  up  through  the  box, 
falls  evenly  into  little  troughs  which  run  around  the  four 
sides,  and  is  thence  carried  into  a  reservoir.  The  trays 
are  lifted  for  cleaning  by  arms  at  two  sides  ot  the  box 
fastened  into  a  lower  frame.  The  trays  are  made  of  wire 
cloth  of  so  small  a  mesh  that  the  eggs  will  not  pass 
through,  but  large  enough  to  permit  the  passage  of  the 
whitefish  fry,  which,  as  soon  as  they, break  the  shell,  are 
carried  up  by  the  current  and  into  the  reservoir,  from 
which  they  may  "be  taken  out  as  required.  Whitefish 
eggs  placed  in  one  layer  will  number  sixty-four  to  the 
square  inch.  Each  tray  will  hold  about  18,000  eggs,  and 
each  box  about  325,000.  They  can  be  made  larger  or 
smaller  and  will  work  equally  well. 

These  boxes  are  the  only  device  which  will  hatch  white- 
fish  thoroughly  well,  for  whitefish  are  the  most  delicate 
and  difficult  to  manipulate  of  all  the  salmon  family.  The 
eggs  are  much  smaller  than  those  of  the  trout  and  the 
fry  are  more  tender  than  even  the  tender  trout  fry,  which 
test  the  fish  eulturists  best  skill  to  raise  satisfactorily. 
One  especial  advantage  is,  the  difficulty  that  sedi- 
ment of  any  kind  finds  in  lodging  upon  the  eggs. 
As  it  is  carried  upward,  if  at  all  by  the  current,  it  is 
swept  along  over  the  upper  rim  into  the  reservoir,  and 
rarely  catches  upon  the  eggs.  It  has  little  opportunity  to 
settle,  and  the  number  of  eggs  killed  by  this  fruitful  source 
of  trouble  is  reduced  to  the  minimum.  Where  the  water 
passes  from  above  down,  it  naturally  deposits  whatever 
it  holds  in  suspension  on  its  way,  but  by  this  reverse 
process,  the  sediment  cannot  fall,  and  cannot  cling  to 
what  it  touches,  because  it  comes  in  contact  with  the 
underside.  The  aeration  of  the  eggs  is  perfect,  none 
are  covered  up  by  others  so  as  to  be  shut  out  from 


96 

the  passing  current  and  suffocated.  In  troughs  the  water 
strikes  the  body  of  eggs  on  the  edge  and  then  simply 
passes  over  and  along  them,  not  penetrating,  but  merely 
coming  in  contact  with  their  surface ;  in  the  Kolton  box, 
the  water  enters  every  part,  works  up  between  every  egg, 
and  even  if  these  are  piled  two  or  three  deep,  will  vital- 
ize all  of  tii em. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  impregnated  eggs  re- 
quire the  oxygen  in  the  water  as  much  as  the  living  fry 
and  will  smother  if  shut  out  from  it.  Anything  that 
does  this,  whethei  it  be  dirt,  sediment,  insufficient  cur- 
rent or  other  eggs  will  destroy  them  and  no  plan  has 
yet  been  invented  which  so  absolutely  prevents  this 
danger.  The  economy  of  room  is  another  important 
consideration  where  fish  culture  is  to  be  prosecuted  on 
a  large  scale.  As  we  have  said,  eight  boxes  will  contain 
and  hatch  two  millions  of  white  fish  eggs,  and  an  equal 
number  of  boxes  of  trout  eggs  will  supply  the  place  of 
a  large  establishment  laid  out  in  the  old  fashioned  and 
ordinary  method. 

The  openings  through  the  wires  are  not  round  '  or 
square  but  a  long  narrow  parallelogram,  differing  in 
width  for  the  different  sizes  of  eggs  which  are  to  be 
hatched.  To  understand  this  it  is  only  necessary  to  sup- 
pose the  wires  stretched  on  the  trays  at  proper  distances 
from  one  another,  and  then  bound  together  by  cross 
wires  at  three-quarters  ot  an  inch  from  one  another,  or 
sufficiently  near  to  hold  all  securely  together.  The 
wires  for  white  fish  eggs  are  nine  to  the  inch  ;  those  for 
brook  trout  are  eight  to  the  inch  ;  seven  for  salmon 
trout,  and  six  and  a  halt  for  salmon.  In  like  way  they 
can  be  adapted  to  any  other  species  of  fish  that  it  is  pro- 
posed to  hatch.  They  could  be  used  for  shad  where  it 
is  not  desirable  or  convenient  to  use  the  regular  shad 


97 

box  which  is  described  in  the  chapter  on  shad  hatching. 
For  shad,  the  mesh  of  the  trays  is  a  little  different  being 
of  heavier  wire,  square  and  twenty-two  to  the  inch. 
These  trays,  it  is  unnecessary  to  say  are  painted  with 
gas  tar  like  the  wood  work  of  the  troughs,  and  inside  of 
the  boxes  and  all  other  things  with  which  the  eggs  come 
in  contact.  If  the  wires  should  not  be,  they  would  rust 
and  the  rust  would  penetrate  and  destroy  every  egg  that 
touched  it.  The  current  may  be  caused  by  the  natural 
flow  of  the  water  and  by  artificial  means  such  as  the  use 
of  a  pump,  and  for  shad  and  whitefish  hatching,  no  trays 
are  absolutely  necessary.  The  boxes  may  be  round  or 
square  and  made  of  tin  or  wood. 

We  have  said  that  whitefish  work  up  through  the 
trays  and  pass  over  the  rim  into  the  reservoirs.  This  is 
the  habit  with  whitefish  and  with  shad,  but  the  salmon, 
salmon  trout  and  brook  trout,  work  down  into  the  bot- 
tom of  the  boxes,  and  if  the  eggs  are  left  in  them  until 
they  are  completely  hatched  the  fry  must  be  taken  out 
when  the.  trays  are  removed.  There  is  some  danger 
connected  with  this  peculiarity,  as  the  little  fellows  until 
the  umbilical  sac  is  absorbed,  crowd  together  one  upon 
another  at  the  bottom,  instinctively  hiding  from  imagin- 
ary enemies,  and  will  often  get  smothered.  They  can 
be  drawn  out  by  a  syphon  consisting  of  simply  a  piece 
of  ordinary  rubber  pipe  leading  into  a  pail  of  water  and 
will  not  be  injured  by  the  operation;  or,  if  the  fish  are 
to  be  left  in,  a  tin  tube  pierced  with  fine  holes  is  put  in 
the  box  and  the  upper  end  of  the  syphon  led  into  that. 
However,  the  tin  pipe  where  it  enters  the  bottom  of  the 
box  is  usually  constructed  with  a  hole  and  a  cork  fitted 
to  it,  by  means  of  which  the  fry  can  be  drawn  off  and 
the  box  emptied. 


98 

The  method  of  inspecting  the  eggs  in  this  hatching 
box  is  as  follows :  Two  wooden  wedges  are  inserted, 
one  on  each  side  of  the  uprights  attached  to  the  bottom 
frame  to  hold  them  in  place.  One  box  is  always  left 
empty.  The  trays  in  the  adjoining  box  are  raised  so  as 
to  bring  the  upper  one  just  below  the  surface  of  the 
water  and  are  wedged  ;  this  is  examined,  and  after  the 
dead  eggs  are  removed  it  is  placed  in  the  empty  box, 
lowered  under  water  and  wedged.  When  this  is  finished 
another  is  raised  in  the  box  which  is  being  examined, 
and  transferred  after  inspection  to  the  other  box.  By 
wedging  them  each  set  of  trays  is  kept  in  its  place,  and 
can  be  examined  systematically.  When  they  are  all 
finished,  that  box  is  empty  and  may  be  cleaned  if  nec- 
essary. Then  the  trays  in  the  next  adjoining  box  are 
examined  and  transferred  to  it  in  the  same  way,  and  so 
on  with  one  after  the  other  till  they  are  all  completed 
and  an  empty  box  left  at  the  further  end  of  the  row  for 
use  on  the  next  occasion.  If  the  water  is  pure  this 
operation  will  not  have  to  be  performed  more  than  once 
in  two  days,  as  the  tendency  of  these  boxes  is  to  clean 
themselves  and  to  prevent  the  retention  of  sediment. 

By  the  use  of  the  Hoi  ton  boxes  an  immense  conden- 
sation ol  room  can  be  effected  ;  each  tray  will  hold  more 
than  ten  thousand  brook  trout  eggs,  and  the  total  num- 
ber in  each  box  will  be  about  two  hundred  thousand. 
Our  usual  practice  with  trout  eggs  is  to  remove  them 
from  the  boxes  when  they  are  about  hatching  and  place 
them  on  the  trays  or  gravel  in  the  troughs  where  they 
will  have  more  room,  and  can  get  out  of  their  shells 
more  readily.  The  empty  shells  will  otherwise,  some- 
times clog  the  wires  and  stick  to  the  embryos,  unless 
the  boxes  are  examined  very  frequently  during  the  last 
stages  of  development. 


99 

GLASS  JARS. — A  pretty  and  ornamental  modification 
of  the  Holton  box,  not  essentially  differing  from  it  on 
principle,  can  be  made  by  the  use  of  glass,  and  will 
answer  on  a  moderate  scale.  It  consists  of  round  glass 
jars  filled  with  trays  with  the  water  entering  at  the 
bottom,  which  should  be  cast  in  the  shape  of  a  funnel  to 
which  is  attached  an  India  rubber  pipe.  The  water 
passes  out  above  through  another  pipe  to  the  bottom  of 
the  next,  and  so  on.  The  advantages  claimed  for  this 
arrangement  are  the  neatness,  beauty  and  cleanliness, 
and  the  ease  with  which  the  eggs  can  be  watched  and 
studied  at  all  times.  It  is  well  to  have  the  supply  pipe 
smaller  than  the  connecting  pipes  between  the  jars,  for 
fear  of  overflow  in  case  of  accidental  obstruction,  and 
from  the  first  there  should  be  a  gradual  descent,  each  jar 
standing  a  little  lower  than  the  one  preceding  it.  When 
it  is  desirable  to  empty  any  jar  it  can  be  done  with  a 
tube  of  rubber  used  as  a  syphon,  the  supply  of  water 
being  shut  off.  By  drawing  off  the  water  into  a  basin, 
any  young  fish  carried  with  it  may  be  saved. 

SELF-PICKER. — Another  modification  of  the  Holton 
box  was  made  at  the  state  establishment.  It  has  been 
called  a  "  self  picker."  It  consists  simply  in  removing 
all  the  trays  and  placing  the  piece  of  tin  over  the  hole 
through  which  the  water  enters,  which  should  be  in  the 
center  of  the  bottom  in  such  a  way 'as  to  force  the  water 
to  rise  gently  on  all  sides  close  to  the  edges.  The  box  is 
shaped  so  that  the  sides  converge  towards  this  center 
and  the  water  makes  a  moderate  current  along  them  up- 
wards. The  eggs  which  are  placed  loosely  in  the  box 
are  kept  in  a  gentle  bubbling  or  boiling  motion  by  this 
arrangement.  They  are  caught  by  the  current,  carried 
upward,  and  then  dropping  into  an  eddy,  descend  to  be 
again  whirled  upward.  Wlien  the  fish  hatch  the  gener- 


100 

al  motion  of  the  water  is  strong  enough  to  carry  the 
shells  over  the  outlet,  and  it  is  manifest  that  by  such  an 
arrangement  no  sediment  can  at  any  time  collect  on  the 
eggs.  It  was  feared  at  first  that  the  continual  motion 
might  wear  through  the  shells.  It  has  been  used  with 
trout,  and  is  the  proper  arrangement  if  shad  eggs  are  to 
be  hatched  in  the  Holton  box,  as  for  them  trays  are  not 
necessary.  If  salmon  or  trout  eggs  are  to  be  treated,  a 
much  smaller  number  must  be  put  in  each  box,  than 
ii  they  were  distributed  on  the  trays.  The  original 
arrangement  of  the  boxes  is  the  best  for  general  purposes, 
and  these  modifications,  are  only  mentioned  in  case  they 
should  fit  peculiar  circumstances. 

GLASS  TRAYS. — It  seems  hardly  necessary  to  refer  to 
trays  which  have  small  glass  tubes  instead  of  wire  net- 
ting on  the  bottom.  These  were  among  the  first  plans 
tried  and  will  answer  very  well.  But  they  are  expen- 
sive to  make  and  easy  to  break,  while  they  are  no  better 
than  our  cheaper  and  stronger  trays.  ,  i 

OUR  PRACTICE. — A  number  of  other  arrangements 
could  be  detailed,  but  these  are  the  best,  and  cover  all 
conceivable  circumstances.  We  have  given  so  many 
that  perhaps  we  had  better  state  exactly  what  course  we 
follow  as  the  best,  simplest,  cheapest,  easiest  and  most 
certain.  We  hatch  whitefish  in  the  Holton  box,  com- 
pleting the  operation  there  and  allowing  the  fish  to  break 
their  eggs,  to  work  their  way  up  through  the  wires,  and 
pass  over  the  upper  rim  into  a  reservoir,  the  egg  shells 
going  over  at  the  same  time.  We  have  given  up  trying 
to  feed  whitefish  and  distribute  them  at  once  to  the 
lakes  they  are  to  inhabit  by  depositing  them  in  the 
water  suitable  for  them. 

Brook- trout,  salmon- trout  and  salmon  eggs  we  develop 
in  the  Holton  boxes  till  they    are   about    to   burst  their 


101 

shells,  then  we  place  them  on  trays  in  the  troughs.  As 
they  remain  much  longer  in  the  boxes  than  in  the  troughs 
less  room  is  needed  in  the  latter  than  would  be  required 
if  they  were  entirely  hatched  there.  We  give  them  a 
good  current,  and  as  soon  as  they  are  hatched  and  the 
egg  shells  removed,  we  spread  gravel  over  the  bottom  of 
the  troughs,  or  remove  them  to  troughs  with  gravel  on 
the  bottom,  as  we  believe  they  are  more  contented,  so 
long  as  "the  umbilical  sac  remains,  if  they  can  hide  their 
heads,  or  imagine  that  they  are  hid  between  the 
stones.  We  observe  that  if  they  are  kept  at  this 
stage  in  bare  troughs  they  are  uneasy  and  keep  strug- 
gling about  from  place  to  place.  Just  before  the  sac  is 
absorbed  we  watch  them  carefully,  especially  the  brook- 
trout,  to  prevent  their  crowding  on  one  another,  and 
when  they  do  so  they  are  removed  in  a  broad  flat  net 
from  the  head  of  the  trough  where  they  congregate  to 
the  lower  end,  or  are  otherwise  spread  out.  This  is 
done  at  night  as  well  as  during  the  day  when  there  is  a 
large  number  together.  As  soon  as  the  sac  is  absorbed 
we  remove  the  gravel  and  keep  them  in  clean  troughs 
with  nothing  in  them  to  catch  or  conceal  dirt.  We 
again  increase  the  current  and  feed  the  young  six 
times  a  day  on  liver  comminuted  to  the  utmost  possi- 
ble degree,  and  diluted  with  water.  We  distribute  the 
fry  as  soon  as  possible  thereafter,  and  put  them  in  the 
smallest  spring  runs  connected  with  the  streams  or  ponds 
they  are  to  etock,  and  not  directly  into  the  ponds  or 
streams  themselves. 


102 


CHAPTER    IX. 

MANIPULATING    SALMON    AND     TROUT. 

SPAWNING    SEASON. — The  salmon   family    of  the  At- 
lantic States,   including  the  eastern  salmon,  the  salmon 
trout,    the   brook  trout,  the    whitefish,    and   the    lake 
herring,   spawns    in    the     autumn    and    fore    part    of 
winter.      The    grayling    spawns  in  March   and   April, 
the   California  salmon    in    summer,  commencingin    the 
latter   part   of  August,    and   the    California   mountain 
trout   in    Spring,  beginning  in   the   middle   of  March. 
Trout  commence  to  spawn  about  October.     The  colder 
the  climate  is,  theeailier  they  will  spawn.     In  Caledonia 
Creek  the  trout   lay  their   first  eggs   about   the    12th  of 
October ;  the  water   standing  then  at  about    forty-eight 
degrees.     In   the  preserves  where  the   temperature,  at 
that  time,  is  a  few  degrees  higher,  they  begin  to  spawn 
about  the  1st  of  November,  and  cease  about  the  1st  of 
March.     The  length  of  the  spawning  season  depends  up- 
on the  equality  of  the  temperature  of  the  water.     In 
streams  where   the   temperature   does   not  vary  much, 
winter  or  summer,  the  length  of  the  season  is  three  or 
four   months,  sometimes  more,  and   in    cold    mountain 
streams  it  only  lasts  two  months,  closing  by  the  middle 
of  January. 

SIGNS  OF  SPAWNING. — As  the  season  of  spawning  ap 
proaches,  the  difference  of  sexes  shows  more  clearly.  It 
is  very  hard  in  the  summer  to  tell  the  difference  between  a 
male  and  female  trout.  By  handling  them  much  and 
watching  them  closely  the  trout  breeder  comes  to  know 
the  male  and  female  apart  almost  instinctively  ;  but  he 
would  be  puzzled  to  tell  just  how  he  knows  it.  The  male 


103 

is  generally  sharper  jawed  than  the  female  at  any  season 
of  the  year,  and  lines  drawn  from  his  shoulders  to  his  tail 
would  be  straight  without  any  bulge  in  tho  middle,  while 
the  female  has  a  rounder  jaw,  and  even  in  sum  mer  is 
more  protuberant  in  the  middle.  These  are  general 
signs,  and  by  no  means  universal.  It  is  only  in  the  spawn- 
ing season  that  difference  of  the  sexes  can  be  told  with  any 
certainty.  As  this  season  approaches  the  distinctions  be- 
come more  marked.  The  difference  in  size  (i8  one  peculi- 
arity, as  the  eggs  grow  large  and  fill  the  belly  ot  the 
female.  It  will  not  do  to  mistake  food  for  eggs.  A 
trout  recently  gorged  with  food  looks  just  like  a  female 
full  of  eggs  ;  but  the  food  soon  disappears,  as  a  trout  is  an 
animal  of  quick  digestion,  while  the  swelling  caused  by 
the  maturing  eggs  gets  larger  as  the  spawning  season 
approaches.  The  colors  of  the  fish,  also,  are  at  that  time 
a  guide.  The  female  turns  to  a  dark  and  sombre  hue, 
while  the  colors  of  the  males  grow  very  brilliant,  a  line 
of  brilliant  scarlet  red  often  developing  itself  along  his 
sides  on  the  edge  of  the  belly. 

NATURAL  SPAWNING. — As  the  spawning  season  ap- 
proaches, the  trout  seek  places  in  the  creek  adapted  to 
the  purpose.  These  places  have  a  pebbly  bottom  in 
shallow  water  close  to  the  spring  or  head  waters  of  the 
creek.  Trout  will  work  their  way  up  over  the  shallows 
of  a  stream  clear  to  the  source ;  but  if  there  are  springs  in 
the  bottom  which  is  the  case  with  almost  all  creeks  they 
will  invariably  spawn  there,  without  going  up  farther,  or 
if  they  find  a  shallow  place  with  gentle  current  and  gravel 
bottom  anywhere  in  the  creek,  they  will  use  it.  Yery 
few  of  the  eggs  laid  in  such  a  place  will  come  to  maturity 
unless  there  happens  to  be  a  spring.  The  males  some- 
times go  up  the  stream  first.  At  this  season  the  males 
engage  in  fierce  contests  for  the  possession  of  the  females. 


104 

These  battles  often  end  in  death  to  one  or  both  of  the 
combatants.  That  these  battles  are  fierce,  the  deep 
wounds  left  on  the  dead  bodies  of  the  slain  will  bear 
witness.  They  have  been  known  to  fight  for  two  days, 
and  then  both  be  killed.  However,  when  they  are  once 
mated  the  battles  cease  and  the  pair  are  hardly  ever 
seriously  interfered  with.  Intruders  in  any  quantity  come 
around,  seemingly  out  ot  curiosity  ;  but,  no  matter  what 
their  size,  they  leave  as  soon  as  the  husband,  for  the  time 
being,  darts  at  them.  These  intruders  are,  perhaps, 
waiting  for  a  chance  to  devour  some  of  the  stray  eggs 
which  the  female  drops.  The  male  and  female  being 
paired,  go  to  the  chosen  place.  They  lie  side  by  side  to- 
gether when  not  disturbed ;  but  the  male  is  occupied  most 
of  the  time  in  driving  off  interlopers.  It  is  very  curious 
to  see  a  little  male  with  a  big  female  in  charge.  Usually 
the  little  trout  clears  the  way  for  the  large  one  without 
a  show  of  resistance.  In  the  ponds  when  the  trout  are 
fed  the  largest  get  the  meat  while  the  little  ones  get  out 
of  the  way,  and  swim  to  the  further  side  of  the  pond,  and 
even  if  the  meat  is  thrown  where  they  are  they  will  not 
take  it  until  they  have  waited  to  see  whether  it  is  not 
the  pleasure  of  the  big  fellows  to  claim  it.  At  the  spawn- 
ing season  all  this  is  changed,  they  will  attack  a  trout 
three  times  their  size  if  he  comes  within  less  than  a  res- 
pectful distance  of  the  female.  Often  while  the  male  is 
driving  off  one,  another  on  the  opposite  side  will  make 
tender  advances;  quick  as  a  dart  the  proper  husband 
returns  to  chase  the  gay  deceiver.  In  fact  his  time  is 
fully  occupied  with  chasing  off  intruders.  If  they  are  too 
numerous  the  female  will  dart  from  the  nest  over  which 
she  hovers,  to  help  her  chosen  mate.  A  nest  is  made  in 
the  gravel  by  the  female.  It  is  simply  a  shallow  hole 
about  six  or  eight  inches  in  diameter  and  about  two  or 


105 

three  inchefe  deep.  This  is  made  by  diving  down  at 
intervals  against  the  gravel  and  as  she  comes  up  giving 
it  a  slirt  to  one  side  with  her  tail.  Nearly  the  same 
motion  as  may  be  often  observed  when  trout  dart  down 
to  the  bottom  and  rub  their  sides  against  it  to  free  them- 
selves from  parasites.  The  dipping  motion  is  continued 
for  some  days  until  the  nest  is  large  enough  to  suit  her. 
After  lying  over  this  some  time  the  female  is  ready  to 
emit  a  portion  of  her  eggs.  The  male  lies  by  her  side 
while  she  does  so.  However  busy  he  may  have  been  in 
driving  off  interlopers,  he  seems  to  know  by  instinct 
when  the  female  is  ready  to  emit  her  eggs  and  is  always 
by  he  side.  At  the  time  she  emits  her  eggs  he  emits  his 
milt  over  them.  They  do  this  with  a  curious  curl  up- 
ward, which  every  trout-breeder  should  see  for  himself. 
Yery  often  the  male  and  female  lock  jaws  together  and 
their  heads  slowly  rise,  apparently  trembling  with  excite- 
ment. They  emit  eggs  and  milt  until  a  nearly  vertical 
position  is  gained,  still  lying  over  the  hole,  then,  they 
fall  away  from  one  another  and  the  male  retires  to  some 
secluded  spot  where  he  remains  five  or  ten  minutes  rest- 
ing. This  interval  the  female  employs  in  covering  her 
eggs.  She  vr\\\  flirt  in  with  her  tail  all  the  stones  of  pro- 
per size  to  be  found  near  her  nest,  and  if  there  are  not 
enough  to  cover  it  to  her  liking  she  will  go  above,  and, 
picking  out  a  particular  stone,  work  it  down  backward 
between  the  two  ventral  fins.  This  labor  she  continues 
until  the  eggs  are  completely  covered. 

After  five  or  ten  minutes  the  male  pays  her  a  visit  to 
see  how  she  is  getting  along.  He  looks  around  a  little, 
eats  a  few  of  the  eggs  if  he  can  find  any  uncovered,  and 
then  retires  to  his  lurking  place  again,  where  he  remains 
twenty  minuted  with  only  occasional  visits  to  the  female 
before  he  recovers  from  the  exhaustion  which  he  has 


106 

undergone.  The  female  does  not  seem  to  rest,  she  con- 
tinues covering  the  eggs  and  does  not  then  leave  the  place. 
The  reason  for  this  is  that  she  has  not  yet  emitted  all  her 
eggs,  for  trout  occupy  some  time  in  their  spawning,  lay- 
ing their  eggs  at  intervals,  as  they  become  ripe.  Observers 
differ  as  to  the  length  of  time  occupied  in  spawning. 
The  time  is  not  usually  more  than  three  days,  although 
sometimes  extending  to  six  days,  the  female  covering  the 
eggs  as  she  emits  them. 

When  it  is  understood  that  some  of  the  eggs  do  not 
sink  into  the  nest,  but  are  carried  oft  by  the  current,  and 
that  only  a  part  of  every  batch  escape  the  jaws  of  their 
parents,  and  of  the  many  trout  swimming  around  the 
spawning  place,  one  may  begin  to  preceive  the  advantage 
of  artificial  methods.  To  make  the  danger  of  loss  greater ; 
after  the  nest  is  finished,  the  parents  gone,  and  the  eggs 
nicely  hatching,  another  pair  come  along  intent  on  similar 
business.  The  female  sees  the  place  where  the  first  has 
laid  her  eggs,  and,  fancying  it  a  good  spot  for  her  own 
nest,  begins  to  make  one  there.  As  soon  as  the  eggs  are 
uncovered,  by  the  preparatory  operations,  the  pair  eat 
up  all  they  can  find,  and  then  proceed  to  lay  their  own 
eggs,  only  perhaps,  to  be  served  in  the  same  way  by  others. 
When  it  is  considered,  also,  that  all  kinds  of  water-fowl 
are  fond  of  these  eggs  and  diligently  search  after  them, 
and  that  in  the  spring  time  the  young  fry  furnish  a  large 
proportion  of  food  for  the  older  ones,  the  wonder  seems 
to  be,  not  that  there  are  so  few  trout  in  our  streams,  but 
that  there  are  any  left.  Another  cause  of  the  rapid 
diminution  of  trout  in  settled  countries,  is  the  tame 
ducks  which  are  allowed  on  the  stream.  They  wander 
at  will  peacefully  up  and  down  the  stream,  explore  every 
foot  of  the  bottom,  turning  over  the  gravel  with  their 
long  bills,  abd  leaving  very  few  of  the  eggs  to  hatch. 


107 

OF  EGGS. — The  number  of  spawn  which  a 
trout  will  give  has  been  variously  estimated.  They 
commence  spawning  at  two  years  old  if  well  fed  arid 
large.  It  has  been  asserted  that  eggs  have  been  taken 
from  a  trout  one  year  old,  or  rather  taken  in  the  winter 
of  the  same  year  in  which  it  was  hatched;  This  may  be 
so,  but  it  is  more  interesting  in  a  physiological  point  ot 
view  than  for  any  practical  purpose,  as  there  are  so  few 
that  it  is  not  worth  -while  to  take  them.  A  trout  two 
years  old  will  give  from  two  hundred  to  five  hundred  eggs, 
a  three  year  old  from  five  hundred  to  one  thousand  eggs, 
a  four  or  five  year  old  trom  one  thousand  to  two 
thousand  eggs.  This  is  only  an  approximation,  as  the 
number  of  spawn  depends  upon  the  weight  and  health  of 
the  fish,  and  not  on  its  age.  In  some  cases  the  number 
of  eggs  is  much  greater,  but  four  thousand  is  the  most 
we  have  ever  seen  taken  from  one  trout.  In  estimating 
the  number  of  spawn  from  a  given  number  of  fish  in  a 
pond,  it  must  be  remembered  that  some  are  barren,  and 
some  diseased,  and  some,  perhaps,  will  not  go  up  into 
the  race.  So  that  the  average  yield  ot  two  and  three 
year  olds,  females  only  counted,  will  not  be  over  five 
hundred,  of  four  and  five  year  olds,  not  over  one  thous- 
and each. 

The  proportion  of  males  to  females  in  a  pond  should 
be  about  one  half.  Not  so  many  are  necessary  to  fecun- 
date the  eggs,  and  it  would  be  an  advantage  in  one  way 
to  have  iewer,  since  then  there  would  not  be  so  much 
fighting  in  choosing  partners,  and  as  all  the  females  do 
not  spawn  at  once,  one  male  would  be  enough  to  serve 
several  females  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the  males  seem 
to  run  out  of  milt  before  the  females  get  through  laying 
their  eggs,  and  towards  the  close  of  the  season  it  is  often 
difficult  to  obtain  males  with  milt  enough  to  fecundate 


108 

the  eggs  ;  so  that  it  seems  better  to  have  in  the  pond  an 
equal  number  of  males  and  females,  thereby  giving  more 
chance  of  saving  some  of  the  milt  till  the  last  of  the 
season.  The  males  are  very  amorous  and  will  pair  again 
and  again.  It  very  often  happens  that  some  of  them 
die  from  the  exhausting  effects  ot  the  season.  The  best 
way  is  to  have  an  equal  number  ot  males  and  females, 
everything  considered. 

TAKING  SPAWN  BY  HAND. — The  trout  will  not  spawn 
in  the  ponds  where  the  bottom  consists  of  large  stones 
or   weeds  ;  but  if  there   is  sand  or  gravel  anywhere  on 
the  bottom  of  the  ponds  they  will  spawn  on  it:     There- 
fore be  careful  to  have  only  the  raceway,   where   the 
water  enters,  covered  with  gravel.     In  October  this  may 
be  washed  and  cleaned  from  the  weeds  which  will  have 
grown  in  it  during  the  year.   As  soon  as  the  fish  are  ready 
to  spawn  they  will  ascend  from  the  ponds  into  the  race- 
way seeking  a  place  to  nest.     Then  they  are  ready  to  be 
taken  out  and  the  spawn  expressed.     At  the  entrance  of 
the  raceway  there  should  be  grooves  to  receive  a  frame 
on  which  is  tacked  a  net  of  coarse  bagging  about  eight 
or  ten  feet  long.     One  corner  of  this  bag  should  be  nar- 
rowed, left  unsewn,   and  tied    with   a  string,   like  the 
mouth  of  a  meal  sack.     The  race  should  be  covered  over 
in  spawning  time,  as  the  fish  will  come  under  the  cover 
better  and  are  not-  so  likely  to  be  frightened  by  any  one 
passing.     If  there   are   fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand 
fish  in  the  pond  the   net   may   be  used  ever}7  day  in  the 
height   of  the  season,   and  when   the  fish  become  scarce, 
once  in  two  or  three  days. 

Indications  of  spawning  having  been  observed,  the 
covers  are  put  on  the  races,  and  as  soon  as  there  are  fish 
in  the  raceway,  the  net  is  gathered  up  in  one  hand  and 
the  frame  held  in  the  other,  in  such  a  position  as  to  be 


OK   THE 

109      ((UNIVERSITY 

_  „.„     O:ET 
put    in  the  grooves  as  quickly  as 

Done  of  the  fish  escape  from  the  race.  Go  quietly  to 
the  spot,  and  do  not  walk  down  the  raceway  to  get  to  it, 
but  approach  from  one  side  and  put  the  net  in  the 
groove  as  quickly  as  you  can.  The  water  running  down 
will  swell  the  net  out  to  its  full  length.  The  covers 
maybe  then  removed,  and'with  a  stick  you  may  frighten 
the  fish  down  from  the  head  ot  the  raceway  into  the  net. 
As  soon  as  they  are  all  in,  the  frame  may  be  lifted  out 
of  the  water,  and  the  fish  are  then  enclosed  in  the  bag. 
A  tub  of  water  should  be  previously  brought  near  the 
spot,  and  the  end  of  the  net  can  be  lifted  into  the  tub 
and  untied,  when  the  fish  will  all  fall  into  the  tub  with- 
out trouble.  Coarse  cloth  is  better  for  the  purpose  than 
netting,  as  it  can  be  more  easily  tacked  to  the  frame, 
does  not  hurt  the  fish  so  much,  and  lasts  longer  ;  besides, 
the  water  swells  it  out  and  holds  it  open  for  the  fish  to 
run  in  better  than  it  would  a  net,  and  the  fish  not  seeing 
you  through  the  cloth  as  the}7  would  through  an  open 
mesh,  are  not  scared,  and  do  not  try  to  run  back  up  the 
race. 

It  must  be  remembered  in  this  and  all  subsequent 
handling  of  the  fish,  that  it  the  outer  skin  of  a  trout  is 
broken  or  abraded  by  the  hand  or  in  contact  with  any 
hard  substance,  it  will,  in  nineteen  cases  out  of  twenty, 
cause  the  fish  to  die.  A  white  fungus  appears  on  it  tirst 
where  the  skin  is  broken  ;  this  fungus  spreads  over  the 
fish  until  it  is  sometimes  half  covered  with  it  before  it 
dies.  We  speak  of  the  covering  of  trout  as  "skin," 
because  it  feels  like  it  and  looks  like  it,  although  in 
reality  trout  are  covered  with  minute  scales.  They  will 
get  over  a  deep  and  clear  cut  much  more  quickly  than 
over  a  bruise  where  the  cuticle  or  skin  only  is  broken. 


110 

Thu  fish  being  now  in  the  tub  must  be  taken  to  the 
hatching  house  as  quickly  as  possible.  There  are  proba- 
bly in  the  tub  some  fifteen  or  twenty  fish,  and  all  the 
operationb  must  be  conducted  as  quickly  as  possible  so 
that  they  will  not  die  in  the  small  quantity  of  water  to 
which  they  are  confined.  So  long  as  the  fish  lie  quiet 
in  the  Bottom  of  the  tub  there  is  sufficient  air  in  the 
water  to  sustain  them,  but  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  come 
to  the  surface  and  try  to  leap  out,  it  is  a  sign  that  the 
air  is  nearly  exhausted  and  the  water  should  be  renewed. 
They  will  also  open  their  mouths  wide,  just  as  a  person 
would  when  gasping  for  air.  The  question  has  some- 
times been  asked  how  long  a  trout  would  live  out  of 
water  ;  the  answer  is,  about  as  long  as  a  man  would  live 
under  the  water.  Trout  will  die  in  a  tub  out  of  which 
the  oxygen  has  been  exhausted  by  their  breathing,  more 
quickly  than  they  would  die  in  a  cloudy  day  if  out  of 
the  water  entirely. 

A  fire  may  be  made  in  the  hatching-house  to  warm 
your  fingers,  which  will  probably  get  cool  while  engaged 
in  this  operation.  A  six  quart  milk-pan  is  to  be  pro- 
vided, if  you  have  many  fish,  and  also  another  tub  of 
water,  into  which  to  put  the  fish  after  they  are  deprived 
of  their  spawn.  Select  a  fish,  and  holding  it  over  the 
milk  pan,  which  has  been  dipped  in  water  to  wet  it,  rub  it 
gently  with  the  fore  finger  and  thumb,  from  the  pectoral 
fins  to  the  vent.  A  little  experience  will  show  how  this 
is  to  be  done.  If  the  fish  is  ripe,  a  few  drops  of  pearly 
colored  milt,  or  orange  hued  eggs,  will  be  forcibly  ex- 
pressed into  the  pan.  If  the  milt  is  not  of  this  color,  it 
shows  that  the  milt  is  not  good,  and  another  male  must 
be  taken  and  treated  in  a  similar  manner.  The  female 
must  be  pressed  more  slowly  and  oftener  than  the  male. 
If  the  eggs  are  not  ripe,  by  passing  the  hand  lightly  over 


Ill 

the  belly,  you  will  feel  them  beneath,  hard,  like  shot. 
In  that  case  put  the  fish  back  into  the  pond,  for  the  eggs 
to  ripen.  When  the  eggs  are  ripe,  the  belly  will  be  soft 
and  flabby,  and  the  eggs  beneath  the  skin  feel  loose  and 
change  their  position  at  the  touch.  So  loose  are  they, 
that  by  holding  the  fish  in  a  horizontal  position,  and 
then  moving  it  up  and  down,  the  eggs  will  change,  and 
fall  downwards  or  upwards  as  if  in  a  bottle.  The  opera- 
tion must  be  continued  until  the  fish  are  emptied  of  eggs 
and  milt.  The  eggs  in  the  pan  may,  at  intervals,  be 
gently  stirred  by  moving  the  pan  ;  this  is  to  change  the 
position  of  the  eggs,  so  as  to  be  sure  that  all  come  in 
contact  with  the  milt,  and  when  the  operation  is  complet- 
ed a  half-pint  of  water  is  poured  on  them  and  the  pan 
set  in  one  of  the  hatching  troughs  through  which  the 
water  is  running  ;  this  will  keep  the  eggs  up  to  the  proper 
temperature,  and  prevent  a  sudden  change  when  they 
are  transferred  to  the  trough.  The  eggs  will  now  agglut- 
inate or  stick  to  the  pan,  and  to  each  other,  for  a  little 
while. 

In  handling  the  fish,  gentleness  is  essential.  A  trout, 
it  is  well  known,  may  be  tickled  under  the  belly,  and 
rather  seems  to  like  it,  and  will  lie  quiet  in  your  hand 
while  your  are  doing  it.  By  putting  the  hand  quietly 
in  the  water,  moving  it  cautiously  around  the  fish,  and 
gently  lifting  him  he  may  be  raised  high  and  dry,  and  will 
lie  quietly  without  a  struggle.  There  is  a  way  of  grasp 
ing  a  trout  firmly,  but  gently,  so  that  he  cannot  squirm, 
and  yet  not  hard  enough  to  break  the  skin. 

We  give  a  cut  of  handling  a  large  fish  which  shows  the 
proper  position,  except  that  the  fish  had  to  be  held  too 
high  from  the  pan  in  order  to  get  a  good  photograph  of 
the  operation,  and  that  the  operator  is  lett  handed. 


11 


SETH     GREEN    TAKING     SPAWN     PROM     A     SALMON     TROUT. 
THE    PROPER    POSITION. 

The  fish  must  be  grasped  by  the  head,  if  you  are  right- 
handed,  with  the  right  hand,  and  by  the  tail,  or  rather 
the  lower  part  of  the  body,  with  the  other  hand,  and 
held  over  the  pan  with  the  belly  near  the  bottom  of  the 
pan.  As  soon  as  the  fish  is  quiet,  the  right  hand  may  be 
gently  slipped  down  from  the  head,  and  the  fore  finger 
and  thumb  used  to  press  the  belly.  The  fish  still 


113 

being  held  by  the  tail,  and  lower  part  in  the 
left  hand,  and  partly  supported,  perhaps,  by  the 
sleeve  of  the  coat,  or  by  the  bare  arm,  and  the 
remaining  fingers  of  the  right  hand.  Every  one  will 
have  a  way  in  which  he  can  do  this  best,  and  will 
find  it  out  after  a  few  trials.  If  the  fish  is  large  and 
struggles  violently,  the  usual  direction  given  in  the 
books,  is  to  let  an  assistant  hold  the  head.  We  counsel 
you,  if  the  fish  struggles  violently,  whether  it  be  large  or 
small,  to  drop  it  back  into  the  tub,  manipulate  another, 
and  after  a  few  minutes  try  it  again  ;  it  will  lie  quiet 
after  a  while.  If  you  attempt  to  hold  a  fish,  which 
struggles  violently,  you  will  be  very  apt  to  kill  it.  It, 
in  addition  to  your  own  two  hands,  you  get  the  two 
hands  of  an  assistant  on  the  struggling  fish,  there  is  not 
much  chance  of  saving  him  alive.  A  better  wa}^  is  to  file 
the  barb  off  of  ,a  No.  4  hook,  then  tie  it  with  three  feet 
of  line  to  a  pliant  switch  three  feet  long.  Hook  your 
fish  on  this,  through  the  jaw,  and  holding  it  in  a  tub  of 
water,  let  it  struggle  until  it  is  exhausted.  Then  the 
hook  can  be  slipped  out,  no  injury  having  been  done  to 
the  trout,  which  can  be  handled  without  difficulty. 

The  large  trout  are  harder  to  handle,  struggle  more  vio- 
lently, and  are  more  apt  to  be  killed  than  the  smaller 
ones  and  do  not  average  so  many  eggs,  although  now 
and  then  one  will  have  a  very  large  number.  There- 
fore, we  consider  that  the  best  fish  for  breeders,  when 
the  operation  is  conducted  by  hand,  are  those  weighing 
from  one-quarter  of  a  pound  to  one  pound. 

The  pan  should  be  elevated  at  one  side,  during  the 
operation  of  taking  the  spawn,  by  standing  it  on  a  block 
half  an  inch  thick,  and  enough  water  will  drip  from  the 
fish  so  that  by  tilting  and  shaking  it  the  milt  can  be 
brought  in  contact  with  the  eggs.  Formerly  it  was  the 


114 

custom  to  half  fill  the  pan  with  water,  but  now  the  eggs 
are  mixed  as  dry  as  the}7  can  be,  and  it  is  found  that  a 
far  higher  percentage  are  impregnated.  The  milt  seems 
to  drown  in  water  quickly.  Only  enough  eggs  should 
be^taken  to  cover  the  bottom  of  the  pan  with  a  single 
layer.  If  more  eggs  are  to  be  had,  more  pans  should  be 
used,  and  as  soon  as  all  the  fish  have  been  handled  they 
should  be"  returned  to  the  water. 

It  takes  very  little  milt  to -impregnate  a  large  number 
of  eggs;  but,  in  practice,  we  generally  take  all  the  milt 
we  can  get  out  of  the  haul.  It  is  sometimes  our  custom 
also  to  put  the  male  fish,  whose  milt  has  been  exhausted, 
into  a  pond  by  themselves,  to  keep  them  from  running 
up  into  the  race  again  and  troubling  the  females.  This 
is  a  very  good  plan,  if  you  have  plenty  of  ponds  and 
plenty  of  fish.  If  you  have  but  a  small  number  of  males 
compared  with  the  number  of  females,  put  them  back 
again  into  the  pond,  as  they  will  probably  have  a 
second  and  third  renewal  of  milt. 

After  stripping  a  female  once  she  should  be  returned 
to  the  tub  from  which  she  was  taken,  and  should  be 
stripped  again  after  a  short  time  during  which  other  fish 
are  being  handled.  This  is  to  get  the  last  egg  from  her, 
and  if  it  is  not  done  a  few  will  remain  and  she  will  go 
on  the  spawning  beds  to  deposit  them  as  if  she  had  a 
full  supply.  If  she  is  cleaned  entirely  she  will  not  bother 
herself  or  her  owner  about  the  matter  again  that  season. 
The  California  mountain  trout  retain  their  eggs  and  milt 
with  more  determination  than  our  brook  trout  and  must 
be  humored  like  a  cow  that  will  not  give  down  her  milk 
to  any  one  but  the  creature  for  which  nature  intended 
it.  After  the  trout  are  handled  they  are  returned  to 
different  tubs  according  to  their  sizes,  as  this  is  the  occa- 


115 

sion  that  we  take  for  sorting  them,  and  then   they  are 
returned  to  their  proper  ponds. 

Twenty  to  twenty-five  minutes  having  now  elapsed 
since  the  pan  of  eggs  was  set  in  the  trough,  gently 
tip  up  the  pan.  If  the  eggs  are  loose  and  roll  separately 
as  you  move  it,  they  are  ready  for  subsequent  operations  ; 
if  not  yet  loose,  let  them  remain  a  while  longer. 

The  semen  of  the  male  is  full  of  spermatazoa  or  ani- 
malcules. These  will  live  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  in 
water ;  dry,  they  will  live  six  hours.  There  is  a  hole 
for  the  reception  of  these  sperms  in  each  egg.  The  egg 
always  sinks  into  the  water  with  this  hole  at  the  top. 
It  receives  one  of  the  animalcules  only  by  this  opening, 
which  then  closes.  There  seems  to  be  a  special  arrange- 
ment of  Providence  that  the  eggs  shall  agglutinate — 
stick  fast  to  each  other  and  to  everything  they  touch — 
so  that  they  shall  not  float  away  until  they  are  impreg- 
nated and  the  trout  has  had  time  to  cover  them.  In  the 
eggs  of  other  fish,  such  as  bass  and  perch,  the  same 
arrangement  is  seen ;  only  they  stick  fast  the  moment 
they  touch  anything,  and  stay  there  until  hatched  out, 
while  the  substance  that  fastens  the  eggs  of  the  trout 
dissolves  as  soon  as  the  mother  has  had  time  to  protect 
them. 

The  eggs  will  now  be  loose  and  lying  on  the  bottom 
of  the  pan.  Pour  off  the  dirty  water  until  only  suffi- 
cient is  left  to  cover  the  eggs.  If  this  is  done  very 
gently,  the  eggs,  although  very  light,  will  remain  at  the 
bottom,  as  they  are  somewhat  heavier  than  water ;  then 
sink  the  pan  into  the  water,  at  the  same  time  tipping  it 
as  described  in  the  chapter  on  uEggs,"  and  take  it  half  full 
of  watre.  The  influx  of  water  will  wash  the  eggs 
around  somewhat,  and  dilute  the  dirty  water  remaining 


116 

in  the  pan.  This  is  to  be  poured  off',  as  before,  and  the 
operation  repeated,  until  the  water  looks  perfectly  clear. 
There  will  be  some  dirt  and  droppings  of  the  trout  still 
left,  which  can  be  carefully  picked  out  with  the  nippers. 
If  an  egg  should  happen  to  be  broken,  while  being  taken 
from  the  trout,  every  vestige  of  it  should  be  carefully 
removed,  as  the  slimy,  sticky  contents  will  get  on  the 
other  eggs  and  kill  them.  The  eggs  are  now  ready  to  be 
placed  in  the  trough,  and  having  previously  raised  the 
water  in  the  nest  to  which  you  wish  to  transfer  them,  by 
placing  a  strip  across  proceed  as  described  in  the  chapter 
on  "Eggs." 

From  the  above  description,  it  will  "be  seen  that  a  few 
lessons  in  artificial  impregnation,  from  an  experienced 
hand,  will  probably  save  the  beginner  much  time  and 
money.  A  written  description  of  the  process,  however 
good,  can  never  take  the  place  of  verbal  instruction  ; 
partly  because  it  never  conveys  exactly  the  same  idea  to 
all,  partly  because  seeing  a  thing  is  better  than  hearing 
about  it,  and  mostly  because  a  written  description  is  a 
general  one,  and  hardly  ever  tells  of  the  minutiae  and  va- 
riations which  constantly  occur  in  practice.  As  an  exam- 
ple of  this,  it  has  been  urged,  all  through  this  book,  that 
in  moving  the  eggs  the  beginner  should  not  touch  them 
with  the  feather,  but  should  move  the  water  over  them, 
so  that  the  eggs  should  follow  the  current  thus  created ; 
also  that  he  should  be  very  careful,  in  removing  the  dead 
eggs,  not  to  touch  the  others  with  the  nippers.  But,  we 
constantly  move  the  eggs  with  the  feather,  and  push  to 
one  side  the  sound  eggs  with  the  nippers,  in  order  to  get 
at  the  dead  ones.  The  reason  simply  is,  that  long  practice 
has  given  the  knack  of  doing  it,  without  injury  to  the 
eggs,  that  a  tyro  does  not  possess, 


117 

In  every  process  of  the  management  and  handling  of 
eggs  we  have  urged  the  greatest  care  and  delicacy. 
Others  however,  claim  that  a  rougher  treatment  will  an- 
swer equally  well  and  save  much  trouble.  We  give  the 
following  method  adopted  by  Mr.  Wilmot  of  Canada,  as  a 
specimen  case.  He  says:  "I  have  adopted  a  new  plan 
this  year,  and  I  have  found  it  to  answer  admirably,  and 
infinitely  better  than  the  one  I  have  practiced  hitherto. 
I  formerly  practiced  the  same  system  that  I  allude  to, 
namely,  taking  the  eggs  from  the  fish  and  putting  the 
milt  upon  them,  and  then  allowing  them  to  remain  twenty 
or  thirty  minutes.  The  system  I  have  adopted  this  year, 
I  think,  will  be  conclusive  in  itself  as  showing  the  benefit 
that  we  have  derived  from  it  and  the  amount  of  labor 
saved.  The  system  that  I  have  adopted  is  this :  we  take 
the  female  fish  out  of  the  water  and  strip  her  as  rapidly 
as  possible ;  perhaps  two  or  three  fish  are  taken  out  one 
after  the  other,  so  that  in  some  instances  we  will  have 
nearly  a  gallon  of  eggs — a  half  of  a  gallon  any  way,  or 
three-fourths  of  a  gallon — in  one  vessel.  We  then  take 
the  male  fish  and  begin  stripping  him  in  a  like  manner 
to  get  the  milt.  An  attendant  is  standing  immediately 
alongside  ot  the  other  gentleman  who  is.  manipulating. 
He  has  a  measure  which  is  calculated  to  hold  a  thousand 
or  two  thousand,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  he  stands  im- 
mediately alongside  and  dips  these  eggs  out  as  rapidly  as 
possible  and  puts  them  on  the  breeding-tray,  and  the 
breeding-tray  is  put  in 'the  hatching-trough.  In  that  way 
I  have  impregnated  a  larger  number  of  eggs  by  far  than 
I  have  in  the  last  seven  years  in  which  I  have  been 
engaged  in  this  work.  It  is  simple  in  itself,  and  so  differ- 
ent from  what  has  hitherto  been  practiced,  that  I  thought 
it  advisable  to  mention  it  here,  because  it  is  so  much 
better  than  any  other  system  I  know  of." 


118 

This  manipulation  requires  that  the  eggs  should  be 
ladled  directly  into  dry  trays  and  handled  quite  roughly. 
It  may  answer  for  salmon,  but  is  not  the  practice  that 
we  recommend,  either  for  them  or  for  trout.  There  is 
more  trouble  in  our  method,  but  the  results  we  are  con 
fident,  are  correspondingly  superior. 

DEAD  OVA. — The  following  is  taken  from  the  Ohio 
Report  on  fisheries,  as  it  expresses  our  views  on  the  pos- 
sibilities and  limits  of  impregnating  the  eggs  of  dead  fish  : 

An  opinion  has  long  been  prevalent  that  the  roe  or  ova  of  a  dead 
female  fish  could  be  fertilized  by  milt  taken  from  a  dead  male  fish; 
in  other  words,  it  was  firmly  believed  that  the  ova  taken  from  the 
dead  fish,  as  they  were  opened  and  the  entrails  removed  at  the  fish 
packing-houses  in  Sandusky,  became  fertilized  by  the  milt  from 
dead  males  when  their  entrails  were  removed  and  all  cast  into  a 
common  heap  as  ofial,  mingling  with  the  ova  of  the  females,  and 
that  then  and  there  the  ova  became  as  thoroughly  fertilized  or  im- 
pregnated as  if  both  the  fish  were  alive.  Many  otherwise  intelli- 
gent and  well-informed  persons  very  freely  asserted  that  during  the 
winter  months  thousands  of  millions  of  young  whitefish  "just  out 
of  the  egg  "  were  to  be  seen  around  about  the  wharves  of  the  pack- 
ing-houses in  Sandusky  bay. 

Believing  it  to  be  of  the  utmost  importance  in  artificial  repro- 
duction of  fishes  to  know  with  absolute  certainty  whether  the  ova 
of  a  dead  fish  can  be  fertilized,  Mr.  Charles  Carpenter,  of  Kelley's 
Island,  was  instructed  to  institute  a  series  of  experiments  to  deter- 
mine this  matter  beyond  any  peradventure.  He  was  instructed  to 
obtain  both  the  milt  and  ova  of  fishes  dead  one  hour  and  those  dead 
several  hours,  and  subject  them  to  the  process  of  fertilization  ;  then 
with  the  milt  of  the  dead  male  to  fertilize  the  ova  of  a  live  female  ; 
then  with  the  milt  of  the  live  male  to-  fertilize  the  ova  of  a  dead 
female;  finally,  to  preserve  the  milt  of  a  live  fish  and  fertilize  ova 
directly  after  extrusion,  with  the  milt,  after  it  had  been  taken  six, 
twelve,  eighteen,  to  twenty-four  hours  from  the  male. 

The  results  of  the  fertilizing  experiments  is  to  the  effect  that 
immediately  after  the  death  of  the  fish,  male  or  female,  the  ova, 
under  favorable  circumstances,  can  be  fertilized ;  that  the  milt  can  be 
preserved  some  hours  without  losing  aU  its  fertilizing  power;  that 
milt  of  fish  within  an  hour  after  its  death  will  fertilize  almost  as 


119 

well  as  that  taken  from  a  live  fish.  These  experiments  were  made 
with  whitefish  (coregonus  alba)  milt  and  ova— those  of  other  species 
may  differ  widely  in  susceptibility  of  impregnation  or  fertilization 
after  the  death  of  the  parent  Statements  are  made  that  milt  of 
the  trout  kind  has  been  shipped  from  California  to  Boston  without 
parting  with  its  fertilizing  influence  entirely. 

Mr.  Carpenter  learned,  furthermore,  that  when  a  single  drop  or 
two  of  milt  was  all  that  could  be  obtained,  and  it  appeared  thickish, 
that  the  fish  was  about  exhausted  and  such  milt  contained  con- 
paratively  few  spermatozoa— hence  it  was  almost  worthless  for  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was  intended.  But  when  the  milt  was  in  con- 
siderable quantity  and  was  very  fluid,  then  it  contained  compara- 
tively the  maximum  quantity  of  spermatozoa,  and  a  single  drop  of 
it  would  fertilize  more  ova  than  twenty  drops  of  the  thick.  Both 
milt  and  ova  were  entirely  worthless  if  exposed  to  a  temperature 
below  31°.  This  degree  of  temperature  appears  to  deprive  the  milt 
of  its  fertilizing  influences,  and  deadens  the  susceptability  of  the 
ova  of  being  fertilized. 

Many  statements  are  made  by  fishermen  and  others  to  the  effect 
that  the  eggs  of  fishes  are  often  found  frozen  in  ice  on  the  shore  or 
banks  of  streams,  as  well  as  ponds  and  lakes,  and  afterwards 
hatched  successfully. 

Some  experiments,  carefully  conducted  by  Mr.  Carpenter,  dem- 
onstrate that  whenever  the  eggs  are  subjected  to  a  temperature 
below  32°  Fahrenheit,  that  vitality  ceases. 

Statements  have  been  found  going  the  rounds  of  the  press,  to  the 
effect  that  fish  have  been  found  in  the  streams,  frozen  stiff,  and 
afterwards  restored  to  life.  All  experiments  made  in  this  direction 
have  resulted  in  the  absolute  death  of  the  subjects  of  the  experi- 
ments. Experiments  made  by  us  in  fertilizing  eggs  after  they  were 
extruded,  resulted  in  showing  that  where  five  minutes  were  allow- 
ed to  elapse  after  the  eggs  were  obtained,  and  before  the  milt  was 
applied,  only  four  per  cent,  were  impregnated,  and  of  all  those  that 
were  left  a  longer  time  none  were  impregnated. 


120 


CHAPTER  X. 

GENERAL  REMARKS  ON  TROUT 
BREEDING. 

There  are  other  methods  of  hatching  the  eggs  which 
are  partly  natural  and  partly  artificial,  and  which  per- 
sons can  use  who  are  not  in  condition  to  oversee  the 
eggs  during  their  long  period  of  incubation.  Frames  of 
wood  have  been  built  over  a  raceway  made  from  springs, 
and  on  them  gravel  has  been  placed.  The  strips  or 
slats  of  the  frame  were  wide  enough  apart  for  the  eggs 
to  fall  through  into  the  lower  part  of  the  raceway,  which 
was  closed  at  the  lower  end  so  as  to  force  the  water  up 
among  the  gravel.  The  frame  was  set  at  such  a  depth 
as  to  give  a  couple  of  inches  over  the  gravel,  and 
more  or  less  under  the  frame.  The  fish  were  allowed  to 
spawn  by  themselves,  covers  being  laid  on  to  protect 
them  from  disturbance.  The  eggs  fell  through  the  slats 
as  they  were  impregnated,  and  hatched  below  where 
nothing  could  get  at  them.  This  yields  a  moderate  per- 
centage, and  will  work  better  than  if  the  gravel  is  laid 
on  six  inches  thick,  so  deep  that  the  eggs  are  retained  in 
it  and  cannot  fall  through. 

Another  plan  was  to  place  a  double  set  of  trays  or 
screens,  the  lower  one  of  such  fine  wire  that  the  eggs 
will  not  pass  through ;  that  is,  of  about  ten  or  fourteen 
threads  to  the  inch.  This  wire  is  attached  to  a  frame, 
made  of  inch  stuff,  and  another  inch  strip  nailed  above  it. 
The  upper  frame  is  ot  the  same  width  and  length,  but  the 
sides  are  from  three  to  four  inches  deep ;  upon  this  a 
coarse  screen,  of  three  or  four  wires  to  the  inch,  is 
fastened.  The  fine  screen  is  first  laid  in  the  race,  which 


121 

being  made  of  proper  width,  it  fills,  and  the  coarse 
screen  is  laid  over  it,  with  the  wire  side  down. 
There  is  a  space,  between  the  two  screens,  of  one  inch, 
protected  from  invasion  on  the  top  and  bottom  by  the 
wire  screens,  and  on  all  the  sides  by  the  inch  strip  of  the 
small  screen.  The  top  screen,  which  has  sides  three  or 
four  inches  deep,  is  then  to  be  filled  with  coarse  gravel, 
so  coarse  that  it  will  not  pass  through  the  meshes,  to  the 
depth  of  two  inches.  This  gravel  will  overcome  the 
buoyancy  of  the  wooden  frames,  and  cause  them  to  sink 
in  the  water.  Now  the  screens  are  ready  for  use. 

A  trout  comes  along,  and  finds  the  gravel.  She  sees 
no  screens — only  some  nice  gravel  for  nest-building,  in 
what  appears  to  be  a  shallow  box.  Suspecting  no  evil, 
she  proceeds  to  make  her  nest,  and  in  the  process  of 
"  slirting  out "  gravel  with  her  tail,  she  moves  it  away 
from  the  meshes  of  the  coarse  screen,  and  leaves  the  bot- 
tom of  her  nest  an  open  network.  On  this  she  emits 
her  eggs,  which  are  at  the  same  time  fecundated  by  the 
emission  of  the  milt  of  the  male  trout  lying  by  her  side. 
The  eggs  fall  down  into  the  nest,  but  pass  through  the 
coarse  wire  screen,  and  are  caught  by  the  fine  meshes  of 
the  lower  screen.  There  they  are  safe.  The  trout  cov- 
ers up  the  hole  as  usual.  The  hangers-on  find  no  eggs 
to  devour,  and  go  their  way.  Another  trout  may  make 
her  nest  in  the  same  place,  without  disturbing  the  eggs 
already  laid,  safe  in  their  resting-place.  Here  they  may 
be  left  to  hatch,  or  you  may  take  a  pan  of  water,  and 
taking  off  the  upper  screen,  gradually  lift  up  the  lower 
screen,  brushing  the  eggs  to  one  corner  with  a  feather, 
and  tip  them  all  at  last  into  your  pan  without  having  ex- 
posed a  single  egg  to  the  atmosphere,  without  any  trou- 
ble in  handling  the  fish,  and  without  any  loss  of  the 
breeders. 


122 

These  screens  may  be  made  as  wide  as  your  raceway, 
if  it  is  not  over  two  or  three  feet,  and  of  a  square  shape. 
If  your  raceway  is  four  feet  wide,  it  is  better  to  have  your 
screens  each  two  feet  square,  as  this  size  is  most  con- 
venient to  handle  when  they  are  filled  with  gravel. 
Enough  uf  them  can  be  placed  in  the  raceway  to  fill  its 
whole  length.  One  thing  requires  to  be  noted  here.  It 
takes  a  much  larger  raceway,  for  this  process  of  natural 
impregnation,  than  it  does  when  the  eggs  are  impregnated 
artificially.  In  the  latter  case  you  need  only  room  enough 
to  make  one  trout  after  another  believe  she  is  going  to  lay 
her  eggs ;  in  the  other  you  must  have  room  enough  for 
her  to  carry  out  her  intentions.  This  is  known  as  the 
Ains worth  screen,  and  was  invented  by  Stephen  H.  Ains- 
worth. 

Much  discussion  has  taken  place  among  fish-breeders 
and  others  interested  in  the  art,  as  to  the  comparative 
value  of  the  two  methods,  aside  from  the  manual  labor 
and  loss  of  fish  involved.  That  is,  by  which  of  the  two 
methods  the  most  eggs  are  impregnated,  and  which  are 
the  most  healthy  or  will  produce  the  best  fish.  In  answer 
to  the  first  question,  we  say  that  a  skillful  workman 
will  impregnate  more  by  hand  than  are  impregnated  in 
the  natural  way.  To  the  second  question,  we  answer, 
that  the  fish  hatched  from  eggs  rightly  impregnated  by 
hand,  are  just  as  strong,  grow  as  fast,  and  live  as  long  as 
the  others. 

STOCKING  PONDS. — The  question  is  often  asked  by  begin- 
ners, with  what  shall  I  commence  fish-farming  ?  Shall  I 
buy  the  eggs  and  try  to  raise  them,  and  wait  three  years 
for  full-grown  fish,  or  shall  I  buy  adult  fish,  and  from  them 
take  eggs  ?  The  answer  to  this  question  depends  upon 
two  circumstances.  First,  how  much  money  you  have ; 
and  second,  how  long  you  wish  to  wait.  It  is  much  cheaper 


123 

to  buy  the  eggs  than  the  adult  fish;  but  then  you  will 
have  to  wait  two  or  three  years  before  you  have  any 
breeders.  The  wisest  and  safest  plan  would  be  to  try  a 
few  thousand  eggs,  and  also  a  few  hundred  two-year  old 
fish.  Ten  thousand  eggs  would  cost  thirty  dollars,  and 
two  hundred  two-year  olds  would  cost  about  forty  dollars. 
Two  hundred  two-year  olds  would  probably  give  about 
twenty  thousand  eggs.  If  you  take  this  advice,  you  will 
have  eggs  to  experiment  with  the  first  year.  With  care, 
you  will  hatch  out  more  or  less,  but  in  any  case  your  ex- 
perience will  be  invaluable  to  you  for  the  next  year,  and 
yon  will  have  a  stock  of  breeders,  to  furnish  eggs,  as  you 
want  them. 

STOCKING  STREAMS. — Persons  who  own  trout-streams 
would  very  often  like  to  have  them  re-stocked,  and  some 
make  feeble  attempts  to  do  it,  by  putting  in  a  few  thou- 
sand young  fish.  This  would  re  stock  a  small  stream,  if 
it  were  done  every  year,  for  some  years.  But  it  is  folly 
to  suppose  that  a  large  stream  which  has  been  fished  for 
years,  and  thousands  taken  from  it  every  year,  can  be  re- 
stocked quickly  by  putting  in  a  few  hundred,  or  even  a 
few  thousand  young.  If  you  attempt  to  stock  your  streams 
at  all,  don't  do  it  half-way.  Remember  that  the  less  fish 
you  put  in,  the  longer  you  will  have  to  wait.  It  is  much 
easier  to  stock  a  stream  than  to  raise  fish  in  ponds ; 
because  the  young  fish  will  take  care  ot  themselves  better 
than  any  one  can  take  care  of  them  ;  and  if  they  are  pro- 
tected from  danger,  until  they  are  forty-five  days  old, 
they  are  then  tolerably  able  to  look  out  for  themselves. 
In  stocking  a  stream,  the  young  fish  should  be  taken  to 
its  head- waters,  or  put  into  the  springs,  or  little  rivulets, 
which  empty  into  it.  As  they  grow  larger,  they  will 
gradually  settle  down  stream,  and  run  up  again  to  the 
head-waters  in  winter  to  spawn. 


124 

"When  putting  fish  into  a  stream,  do  not  put  them  sud- 
denly into  water  much  warmer  than  that  of  the  vessel  in 
TChich  they  are  brought.  They  will  not  so  likely  be  in- 
jured by  putting  them  into  colder  water ;  but  try  to  avoid 
all  sudden  changes,  and  gradually  raise  or  lower  the  tem- 
perature of  the  water  in  which  you  bring  them,  until  it  is 
even  with  that  of  the  stream  in  which  they  are  to  be  placed. 
— Remember  that  it  will  be  two  years  before  you  can 
hope  to  sell  any  fish  for  table  use;  so  do  not  enter  into 
the  business  unless  you  have  some  means  of  support  for 
that  time.  The  persons  who  have  the  most  natural 
advantages  for  this  business  are  those  farmers,  who  have 
springs  or  cold  streams  on  their  farm — now  almost  use- 
less— but  which  may  be  turned  to  advantage  in  raising 
fish.  They,  depending  on  their  farm  meanwhile  for 
support,  can  give  time  and  attention  to  the  experiment, 
and  engage  in  it  altogether  if  it  succeeds,  or  abandon  it, 
without  serious  loss,  if  they  fail.  It  is  peculiarly  adapted 
to  them,  also,  because  it  demands  most  attention  in  the 
winter,  when  they  have  least  to  do  on  the  tarm.  Mean- 
while, it  would  be  well  for  impecunious  young  men, 
seeking  fortunes,  to  leave  the  business  to  capitalists  and 
corporations. 

To  those  who  wish  to  raise  fish  for  their  own  table 
use,  or  to  afford  sport  in  angling,  we  would  say  that  we 
can  think  of  no  way  in  which  a  little  time  and  money 
can  be  so  well  laid  out  as  in  trout-raising. 

A  prejudice  existed  in  the  public  mind  for  a  time 
against  raising  brook  trout  for  public  waters.  This  was 
regarded  as  interfering  with  private  trout  breeders  and 
tending  rather  to  the  encouragement  of  sporting  than  to 
the  increase  of  the  supply  of  fish  food.  But  this  preju- 
dice has  been  overcome.  The  advantages  of  some 
healthful  and  exhilarating  out  door  amusement  are  press- 


125 

ing  themselves  more  and  more  upon  a  nation  of  hard 
working  men,  who  are  confined  day  after  day,  and  often 
half  the  nights,  at  the  desk  or  in  the  counting  room,  and 
who  suffer  to  so.  large  a  degree  from  paralysis  and  soften- 
ing of  the  brain.  All  work  and  no  play  has  been  found 
not  only  to  make  Jack  a  dull,  but  a  sickly  and  miserable 
boy.  Our  ancestors  had  in  a  thinly  settled  country  as 
much  physical  labor  as  their  bodies  needed,  but  their 
descendants  are  suffering  for  the  want  of  out  door  exer- 
cise. 

Nor  is  this  all.  Perhaps  in  no  branch  of  fish  culture 
are  the  results  more  immediate  and  more  apparent  in 
the  mere  return  of  food  than  in  brook  trout  culture. 
Innumerable  inland  streams  that  were  once  inhabited  by 
trout  are  now  wholly  depleted  and  denuded,  not  only  of 
that  kind  of  fish,  but  of  all  others.  They  are  bright, 
sparkling,  noisy,  like  some  men  and  utterly  empty. 
They  make  an  instantaneous  and  wonderful  return  for 
restocking.  Fry  placed  in  them  are  absolutely  safe. 
There  are  no  enemies  to  threaten  their  existence.  They 
have  the  whole  water  to  themselves  without  even  a  par- 
asite to  bother  them.  Food  is  abundant^  for  it  has  been 
increasing  for  years,  and  they-not  only  live  in  security, 
but  grow  with  rapidity.  In  the  year  18Y5,  the  State  of 
New  York  directed  its  Commissioners  to  purchase  a 
trout  breeding  establishment,  and  to  raise  and  distribute 
brook  trout.  Since  then  some  million  and  a  half  have 
been  hatched  yearly,  and  many  streams  have  been  re- 
plenished. In  every  instance  the  results  have  been  most 
gratifying.  It  would  seem  almost  as  though  every  fish 
lived  and  increased  in  size  steadily,  till  he  was  caught. 
Those  that  were  taken  first  were  small  of  course,  those 
that  were  left  had  the  more  food  and  by  next  year 
yielded  nearly  as  much  in  weight  although  fewer 


126 

• 

in  numbers,  as  the  first.  The  following  year  the  fish 
were  still  larger  and  without  allowing  anything  for  the 
natural  increase,  furnished  a  splendid  return  for  the  first 
investment.  r-.fjv* 

This  addition  to  the  yield  of  any  stream  is  so  appar- 
ent as  to  convince  the  most  skeptical.  It  is  not  to  be 
disputed  pr  gainsayed,  and  those  who  have  once  visited  a 
trout  stream  the  year  after  it  has  been  stocked  and  have 
seen  the  young  fish  then  from  three  to  five  inches  long 
darting  out  at  every  step  from  under  weeds  and  roots 
for  the  entire  length  of  the  stream,  will  need  no  further 
proof  that  trout  culture  is  eminently  practical.  In  such 
cases  you  may  almost  say  that  the  number  taken  from  a 
stream  will  depend  simply  upon  the  number  you  put  in, 
while  the  cost  of  hatching  and  transporting  them  is  as 
nothing  compared  with  the  yield  of  pleasure  and  profit. 
No  brook  that  has  once  contained  trout  need  any  longer 
be  without  a  good  supply  of  them.  Shad  and  salmon 
go  to  the  sea,  and  when  they  return  only  swell  the  nat- 
ural yield  which  varies  at  best  and  is  influenced  by 
other  causes,  so  the  direct  effect  is  not  clearly  seen. 
Whitefish  and  salmon  trout  are  almost  lost  in  our  vast 
lakes  and  rivers,  but  brook  trout  remain  where  they  are 
placed,  grow  and  are  caught  among  the  residents  of  the 
neighborhood,  and  contribute  directly  to  the  support 
and  amusement  of  the  people.  Streams  that  have  been 
wholly  worthless  in  producing  food  are  once  more  replen 
ished  and  are  often  rendered  a  very  valuable  adjunct  to 
a  farm  or  country  place.  Trout  will  always  bring  a 
good  price  in  market,  and  the  farmer  who  has  a  good 
trout  stream  or  pond  on  his  place  can  rent  the  fishing 
to  advantage  if  he  does  not  care  to  keep  it  for  himself, 
and  as  population  increases  such  fishing  privileges  will 
become  more  and  more  valuable, 


127 

TRANSPORTING  LIVE  FISH. — Many  expensive  tanks 
have  been  constructed  for  transporting  fish  alive,  answer- 
ing the  purpose  more  or  less  perfectly.  We  give  here  a 
simple  and  inexpensive  method:  Take  a  barrel  or  cask, 
washed  until  it  is  clean  and  sweet.  Fit  a  cover  to  it 
tightly  to  prevent  the  water  splashing  over  while  on  the 
cars  or  wagon.  A  piece  of  canvass  tied  over  the  top, 
answers  every  purpose.  A  hole  one  inch  in  diameter 
may  be  made  in  the  middle  of  the  cover.  Fill  with 
water  within  six  inches  of  the  top,  as  the  agitation  of 
the  water  on  the  journey  helps  to  aerate  it.  Tie  some 
ice  in  a  piece  of  flannel  and  fasten  it  to  the  side  of  the 
cask  near  the  top  so  that  it  shall  not  swing  about  and 
bruise  the  fish,  and  the  cold  drip  from  the  ice  will  sink 
to  the  bottom.  If  the  journey  is  to  be  a  prolonged  one, 
fit  the  nozzle  of  a  common  bellows  with  a  tin  tube  long 
enough  to  reach  to  the  bottom  of  the  cask,  and  by  blow- 
ing a  little  now  and  then  the  fish  can  be  carried  thous- 
ands of  miles.  We  do  not  give  this  as  the  best  plan, 
but  as  a  cheap  and  inexpensive  method  answering  a 
very  good  purpose.  The  best  apparatus  would  be  a 
metal  tank  of  some  kind  with  double  walls,  permanent 
ice  chamber  in  the  middle,  and  automatic  air-pump. 

Young  whitefish  are  in  condition  to  transport  from 
the  first  to  the  tenth  of  February ;  salmon  trout  from 
the  tenth  to  the  thirtieth;  brook  trout  from  February 
twentieth  to  April  fifteenth  and  should  be  put  in  the 
small  spring  rivulets  one  and  two  feet  wide,  that  supply 
the  main  stream.  No  man,  while  transporting  fish, 
should  go  to  sleep  and  allow  them  to  be  left  alone  while 
in  the  cans,  as  it  will  be  sure  death  to  them.  A  man 
may  think  he  knows  all  about  carrying  fish,  because  he 
has  carried  a  few  minnows  in  a  pail  for  fishing ;  but  he 
will  fail  sure  if  he  does  not  follow  the  directions  to  the 


128 

letter.     Six  twelve-gallon  cans  filled  with  fish  is  all  one 
man  can  take  care  of. 

We  use,  ordinarily,  the  common  milk  cans,  and  have 
found  them  to  answer.  The  water  is  aerated  when  fresh 
cannot  be  got  by  being  poured  from  one  bucket  to  an- 
other, held  some  distance  apart.  The  older  the  fish,  the 
more  frequent  changes  of  water  they  will  need.  In  or- 
der to  do  this  when  traveling  by  railroad  the  water  is 
drawn  off  by  the  syphon ;  make  a  tube  2-J  inches  in 
diameter  as  long  as  the  can,  cover  the  bottom  and  6 
inches  up  the  tube  with  wire  lining  and  put  the  syphon 
in  it  when  the  water  is  drawn  off.  Draw  the  water 
as  low  as  is  safe,  just  before  reaching  the  station, 
when  fresh  water  can  be  turned  in  from  the  pump,  or 
drawn  from  a  hydrant.  A  milk  can  will  hold  about 
7,000  whitefish  fry,  or  5,000  brook-trout  fry,  or  4,000 
salmon-trout  fry,  according  to  the  length  of  the  journey 
and  opportunities  of  changing  the  water.  They  will 
carry  only  about  fifteen  full  grown  fish  of  any  species. 

v  All  fish  should  be  deposited  as  near  the  head  of  a  lake 
as  possible,  that  they  may  not  go  into  the  outlet 
before  they  become  familiar  with  the  waters.  The 
young  fish  should  be  deposited  during  the  night  when 
most  large  fish  do  not  feed,  and  will  find  hiding  places 
before  morning.  They  can  be  transported  much  more 
easily  and  safely  in  cold  weather  than  in  warm. 

In  all  operations  with  fish  eggs  we  cannot  too  strongly 
impress  on  our  readers  the  necessity  for  the  utmost  care 
in  handling.  Fish  eggs  are  different  from  birds  eggs 
and  often  have  a  tough  tenacious  skin,  but  they  are  as 
easily  killed  by  rough  usage  as  the  shell  of  the  smallest 
bird  is  easily  broken  by  a  fall.  They  should  be  moved 
and  touched  with  the  utmost  delicacy,  and  never  except 


129 

on  necessary  occasions.  It  would  be  better  if  they  had 
a  thin  shell,  for  then  persons  would  more  quickly  see  the 
fatal  results  of  any  carelessness. 

MR.  PALMER'S  METHOD.  -Mr.  Palmer,  one  of  the  most 
successful  fish  culturists  of  the  West,  has  kindly  furnished 
us  the  following  communication  describing  his  method 
of  growing  trout  which  differs  a  little  from  that  in 
general  use.  He  recommends  the  use  of  zinc  troughs, 
but  we  doubt  whether  that  metal  would  answer  in  all 
waters  which  might  when  loaded  with  certain  substances 
have  a  chemical  effect  upon  them  that  would  be  deleter- 
ious to  the  eggs.  However,  under  his  management  and 
in  his  location  they  answer  well : 

For  hatching  of  trout  and  salmon,  I  prefer  zinc  lined  troughs, 
they  are  easily  kept  clean,  and  the  fish  are  where  they  are  wanted  un- 
til they  exhaust  the  food  sac.  While  I  can  not  hatch  as  many  in  this 
way  as  with  the  Brackett  tray,  or  Holton  box,  I  think  I  can  hatch 
healthier  fish. 

My  hatching  troughs  are  twelve  feet  long  and  eighteen  inches  wide, 
and  I  hatch  from  fifty  to  eighty  thousand  to  the  trough.  I  run  the 
water  about  an  inch  deep  over  them,  and  let  on  all  the  water  I  can 
without  washing  the  eggs  off. 

I  cleanse  my  water  by  settling  it  in  deep  boxes  before  it  goes  on 
the  eggs.  For  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years  my  trout  fry  have  been 
remarkably  healthy,  prior  to  that  I  had  lost  them  by  tens  of  thous- 
ands, and  think  that  the  cleanliness  and  simplicity  of  the  process  has 
much  to  do  with  their  health.  My  experience,  not  alone  around  my 
own  ponds,  but  with  others  that  I  had  occasion  to  visit,  is  that  the 
longer  trout  are  confined  or  domesticated  the  healthier  their  progeny 
becomes,  and  in  this  connection  I  would  say  that  this  applies  to 
their  pisciverousness  or  canibalism,  I  have  one  pond  in  which  I 
have  trout  from  two  to  eighteen  inches  long,  and  never  see  one  de- 
vour another.  Taming  them  for  generations  seems  to  take  away 
their  wild  voracious  nature  ;  of  course  I  would  not  recommend  the 
raising  of  different  ages  together,  and  think  when  mixed  together,  if 
neglected,  they  would  return  to  their  old  practice  of  living  off  one 
another. 


130 

Every  trout  breeder  knows  that  the  difficult  stage  with  themis 
from  the  time  they  absorb  their  sac  to  the  time  they  get  to  feeding 
well,  and  much  of  the  trouble  is  to  get  them  to  eat. 

Some  ten  years  ago  in  my  perplexity  to  find  something  that  they 
would  eat.  I  thought  1  would  try  a  little  sweet  cream.  Well,  it  float- 
ed off  like  oil,  and  I  said  to  myself  that  "  any  fool  might  have  known 
that,"  and  set  down  the  cream  and  went  to  thinking  again.  Next 
morning  I  went  out,  and  whilst  standing  at  the  head  of  the  trough 
thinking  what  I  would  prepare  them  for  breakfast,  I  picked  up  the 
cream,  which  had  frozen  over  night,  and  dropped  a  little  in,  and  to 
my  surprise  it  broke  up  into  little  fine  particles,  much  like  corn- 
meal,  and  floated  on  the  water,  and  I  had  the  satisfaction  to  see  the 
little  fellows  grab  it.  Since  then  I  have  fed  my  fry  with  it  for  about 
two  weeks,  then  mixed  it  with  liver,  and  finally  came  to  all  liver.  I 
think  the  secret  of  their  taking  to  cream  so  kindly  is  that  it  is  so 
easily  swallowed,  and  have  often  watched  my  young  fry  struggling, 
straining  and  gasping,  trying  to  swallow  the  smallest  particles  of 
meat. 

I  sell  trout  eggs  at  four  dollars  a  thousand,  and  the  young  fish  at 
eight  dollars  a  thousand  when  they  absorb  the  sac,  and  add  eight 
dollars  a  thousand  each  month  that  I  keep  them.  After  that  find  I 
that  this  ratio  brings  them,  when  ready  for  the  table,  to  about  fifty 
cents  a  pound,  the  price  at  which  I  sell  trout  for  the  table. 

I  have  land-locked  Atlantic  and  Pacific  salmon,  and  crosses  be- 
tween the  Pacific  salmon  and  the  trout,  but  would  not  recommend 
them  for  pond  culture.  The  trout  will  make  much  greater  growth 
on  the  same  food  than  they  will,  and  do  much  better.  I  sell  them  at 
half  the  price  ot  trout  but  never  get  an  order  duplicated. 

I  feed  livers,  melts,  kidneys,  and  sometimes  lungs  of  animals  that 
I  pay  the  butchers  two  and  a  half  cents  a  pound  for,  yet  my  fish  do 
not  cost  me  as  much  pound  for  pound,  as  the  beef  and  pork  I  raise. 
The  reason  is  that  I  keep  my  ponds  well  stocked  with  insect-food. 
I  would  rather  lose  the  use  of  one  or  two  ponds  at  the  head  of  the 
stream,  and  devote  them  to  insect  breeding,  than  to  have  the  insect 
food  fail,  as  by  this  means  I  not  only  raise  my  fish  cheaper  but  get  a 
better  fish  than  those  who  feed  exclusively  prepared  food. 

Please  excuse  my  tediousness  in  this  description;!  think  fish  cul- 
ture worth  a  good  deal  of  talk. 

Yours, 

A.  PALMER. 


131 

FISHWAYS. — The  selection  of  a  proper  form  of  fishway 
is  a  difficult  matter,  and  has  never  yet  been  determined. 
Several  forms  and  plans  have  been  selected,  from  the 
plain,  open,  inclined  shute  to  a  system  of  compartments 
divided  from  one  another  and  stopping  the  water  by  ob- 
structions. Fish  will  pass  up  these,  even  shad,  which 
are  among  the  most  timid,  but  the  results  bear  little 
comparison  to  what  would  take  place  with  an  open 
river  and  free  access  to  the  waters  alone.  Many  fish 
never  find  the  mouth  of  the  pass,  arid  others  are 
afraid  to  ascend  it.  By  a  law  passed  in  1874,  by 
the  New  York  Legislature,  the  commissioners  were 
required  to  cause  to  be  constructed  in  the  upper 
aqueduct,  in  the  town  of  Niskayuna,  Schenectady 
county,  a  "Brewer's  Patent  Chute  and  Fishway." 
This  direction  of  the  legislature  was  not  founded  on  any 
act,  declaration  or  advice  of  the  Commissioners,  and  there 
was  no  discretion  left  them  or  called  for  by  the  act  in 
question.  They  were  to  make  the  contract  and  see  to 
the  proper  execution  of  the  work,  which  they  did.  The 
work  was  well  and  reasonably  done,  and  while  declining 
yet  to  express  a  positive  opinion  in  a  matter  of  such  doubt 
and  uncertainty,  we  have  been  favorably  impressed  with 
the  woiking  of  the  fishway,  and  hope  it  will  prove  what 
has  been  so  long  sought  without  complete  success,  an 
easy  and  moderately  expensive  method  of  overcoming 
obstructions  in  a  river,  either  placed  there  by  nature  or 
by  man,  and  which  form  an  insurmountable  obstacle  to 
the  ascent  of  fish. 

This  fishway  is  twenty  (20)  feet  wide  between  piers  or 
side  walls,  its  lineal  distance  is  forty-one  (41)  feet,  height 
of  dam  five  (5)  feet,  incline  one  (1)  foot  in  ten.  The 
passage-way  for  fish  is  eighteen  (18)  inches  wide  by 
fifteen  (15)  inches  deep.  There  are  six  (6)  angles,  three 
(3)  on  each  side ;  and  built  of  timber,  stone  and  iron. 


132 

Brewer's  Improved  Chute  and  Fish  way  was  patented 
April  30,  1872,  and  the  contract  had  to  be  awarded  to 
J.  D.  Brewer.  This  work  was  pronounced  by  those 
present  at  the  opening,  to  be  an  entire  success.  The 
inventor  and  contractor  in  presence  of  at  least  twenty 
gentlemen,  with  a  round  scoop  net  of  thirteen  inches  in 
diameter,  took  out  two  fish  at  a  haul,  two  thirds  of  the 
way  up  the  ascent,  and  numbers  of  the  fish  were  taken  in 
the  fishway  when  they  were  going  up.  As  soon  as  the 
coffer  dam  at  the  upper  end  was  taken  away  the  roily 
water  rushed  down  the  fishway;  the  fish,  thinking  that 
there  was  a  flood,  rushed  up.  Some  were  taken  with  a 
scoop  net  nearly  at  the  top  of  the  dam. 

IMPROVING  STREAMS. — Where  a  person  has  a  small 
stream  on  his  place  which  is  adapted  for  trout,  but  is  not 
large  enough  to  accommodate  many,  or  grow  them  to  a 
good  size,  it  can,  at  very  small  expense,  be  made  a  con- 
siderable source  of  pleasure  and  profit.  All  that  has  to 
be  done  is,  to  dig  small  ponds  or  long,  narrow  holes,  say 
three  or  four  rods  long,  and  five  feet  deep,  and  throw 
some  logs  or  brush  in  them.  If  possible,  lay  the  logs 
crosswise  near  the  bottom,  in  order  to  have  the  water 
work  under  them  and  make  a  clean  "scour."  Then  all 
that  has  to  be  done  is  to  place  some  trout  fry  in  the  brook 
above  the  ponds.  As  the  fish  grow  they  will  settle 
down  into  the  ponds  where  they  can  find  shelter  and 
safety,  and  whence  they  can  be  taken  with  a  hook 
and  line  whenever  they  are  wanted ;  the  danger  of  foul- 
ing around  the  brushwood  being  an  additional  excite- 
ment to  the  angler.  The  fish  need  not  be  fed,  as  food 
sufficient  will  accumulate  upon  the  logs  and  brush. 


133 
CHAPTER    XI. 

OTHER    VARIETIES. 

GRAYLING. — Before  passing  to  the  consideration  of 
other  kinds  of  fish,  we  desire  to  speak  of  species  allied  to 
the  salmon  and  trout,  although  different  in  many  of  their 
habits. 

Much  excitement  was  created  in  the  year  1873  among 
ichthyologists,  by  the  discovery  in  some  of  the  streams 
of  the  state  of  Michigan,  of  a  variety  of  fish  not  previously 
supposed  to  exist  in  the  United  States,  called  the  grayling. 
The  grayling  is  a  much  esteemed  European  fish,  common 
on  the  continent  and  in  certain  streams  of  England.  It 
is  a  good  sporting  fish  and  excellent  for  the  table,  and  as 
it  spawns  in  a  different  season  of  the  year  from  trout,  it 
furnishes  food  and  sport  at  a  time  when  trout  cannot  be 
killed  or  eaten.  The  existence  of  such  a  variety  might 
be  of  great  benefit  to  the  older  states  if  its  acclimation 
was  possible  and  it  should  prove  as  well  adapted  to  eastern 
waters  as  to  those  of  the  state  of  Michigan. 

Mr.  Seth  Green  proceeded  to  Michigan  in  the  spring 
of  1874.  So  little  was  known  of  the  habits  of  the  fish  that 
he  arrived  after  the  spawning  season  was  nearly  closed. 
On  the  30th  of  April  he  reached  the  Au  Sable  river  where 
they  are  supposed  to  be  most  abundant,  although  they 
are  known  to  exist  in  all  the  streams  of  that  region.  The 
weather  was  still  very  cold  and  much  difficulty  was  ex- 
perienced in  effecting  the  purpose  of  the  expedition.  The 
water  of  the  river  was  found  to  be  forty  degrees  Fahren- 
heit, but  the  air  at  that  time  ranged  from  sixteen  to 
twenty  degrees.  Finding  that  the  spawning  season  was 
over,  Mr.  Green  dug  up  some  impregnated  eggs  which 


134 

had  been  deposited  in  the  natural  method,  and  capturing 
some  living  fish,  left  on  his  way  back  with  eighty  large 
grayling  in  eight  twelve  gallon  milk  cans,  and  one 
hundred  and  six  eggs.  He  arrived  at  Caledonia  on  the 
6th  of  May,  with  the  loss  of  one  dead  fish  and  two  tatally 
injured.  From  conversations  had  with  trappers  and 
hunters,  it  is  supposed  that  grayling  are  found  in  the  Au 
Sable,  Manistee,  Muskegon,  Board  man,  Au  Gray,  Rifle, 
Marquette  and  Cheboygan ;  in  the  latter  in  company 
with  the  brook  trout.  The  latter  fact  would  go  to  con- 
firm the  impression  that  grayling  would  live  in  our  trout 
streams. 

The  adult  grayling  were  placed  at  first  in  a  pond  with 
a  small  water  supply.  Here  they  did  not  seern  to  do  very 
well  and  were  soon  transfered  to  another  pond  which  had 
a  strong  current.  In  this  they  recovered,  but  preferred 
to  lie  at  the  head  of  the  pond  and  in  the  quickest  current. 
They  soon  became  tarne  and  mixed  with  the  brook  trout 
without  being  molested.  They  were  fed  the  same  food 
and  treated  in  all  respects  as  the  brook  trout. 

The  eggs,  one  hundred  and  six  in  number,  were  hatched 
out  in  the  same  way  as  the  eggs  of  the  brook  trout ;  their 
incubation  taking  about  the  same  time.  The  young  fish 
looked  at  first  like  the  whitefish  ;  but  the  young  grayling 
is  larger  and  has  a  larger  sac  than  the  white  fish,  though 
smaller  than  the  brook  trout.  They  took  food  very 
readily  and  though  it  was  very  neat  work  at  first  to  feed 
them,  after  they  had  grown  a  little  they  gave  no  trouble. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  they  can  be  raised  artifically,  but 
the  question  remains  whether  that  is  worth  while.  They 
are  more  delicate  to  handle,  require  as  much  care  and 
must  have  equally  difficult  conditions. 

When  first  hatched  they  lie  on  the  bottom  like  young 
trout,  but  commence  to  swim  on  the  third  or  fourth  day. 


135 

May  5 — Eggs  arrived 'from  Michigan. 

"     8 — First  egg  hatched. 

"   11 — All  eggs  hatched  out ;  one  lost. 

"    12 — First  fish  began  to  rise  and  eat. 

u    15 — All  swimming. 

The  eggs  are  nearly  as  large  as  trout  eggs,  but  of  less 
specific  gravity.  The  fry  resemble  the  young  of  the 
whitefish.  They  were  about  three  inches  long  in  Decem- 
ber. Oi  the  value  of  the  discovery  the  future  only  can 
determine,  but  some  excellent  results  may  still  flow  from 
this  undertaking.  These  are  the  first  and  only  grayling 
ever  hatched  artifically.  Up  to  the  present  time,  how- 
ever, March  1879,  the  grayling  have  exhibited  no  desire 
to  spawn,  and  do  not  enter  the  raceway  for  that  purpose. 
What  they  would  do  if  turned  out  free  in  our  eastern  streams 
we  cannot  say,  but  when  kept  in  confinement  they  will 
not  spawn  with  us,  and  hence  are  useless  to  the  fish  cul- 
turist,  whatever  they  may  yet  prove  to  be  to  the  sportsman. 
BLUE  BACKED  TROUT — Salmo  Oquossa. — This  fish 
which  is  a  species  of  char  or  salmo  umbla  of  Europe,  has 
only  been  noticed  heretotore  in  some  of  the  lakes  of  Maine, 
although  varieties  of  char  are  found  in  most  of  the  waters 
of  Canada  and  the  far  north.  Its  characteristic  peculiari- 
ties were  pointed  out  some  years  ago  by  Girard,  who  con- 
ferred on  it  its  name  after  the  original  Indian  title  of  the 
lake  in  which  it  is  found,  now  known  as  the  Rangeley. 
Although  it  is  very  like  the  trout  in  appearance,  wanting 
only  the  distinctive  scarlet  or  carmine  specks,  in  habits  it 
is  quite  dissimilar.  It  passes  most  of  the  year  in  the 
deep  water,  only  coming  to  shore  in  October,  and  invari- 
ably at  the  same  day  to  spawn.  It  then  appears  in 
countless  numbers  and  crowds  all  the  inlets  and  outlets 
of  the  lake.  It  remains  only  until  the  act  of  reproduction 
is  complete  when  it  returns  to  its  ordinary  resting  place. 


136 

Its  meat  is  said  to  be  excellent"  and  it  is  certainly  very 
prolific.  It  is  supposed  to  be  the  principal  food  of  the 
brook  trout  of  that  region  which  attain  the  enormous 
weight  of  eight  or  ten  pounds,  the  largest  reached  by  any 
of  the  true  brook  trout  in  America. 

A  few  ot  these  fish  have  been  lately  sold  in  New  York 
market.  Before  that  they  had  not  been  an  article  of 
commerce,  nor  much  prized  as  a  delicacy  even  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  country  where  they  dwelt. 

Its  first  dorsal  fin  is  higher  and  narrower  than  that  of 
the  trout,  its  caudal  is  more  forked  and  its  sides  have  no 
carmine  or  vermillion  specks,  but  instead  large  yellow 
spots  which  become  a  pale  blue  after  the  fish  has  been 
kept  some  time  out  of  water.  It  makes  its  appearance  in 
the  outlets  and  inlets  of  the  lake  on  the  tenth  day  of 
October,  when  it  comes  up  to  spawn.  It  is  punctual  in 
its  yearly  re-appearance  for  that  purpose  to  the  very  day. 
and  the  inhabitants  expect  to  draw  much  of  their  winter 
supplies  of  smoked  and  salted  fish  from  its  hordes.  It 
averages  from  seven  to  nine  inches  in  length — never  more, 
and  in  weight  three  to  four  ounces. 

In  1874-  the  Fishery  Commissioners  of  Maine  succeeded 
in  obtaining  30,000  of  the  eggs  of  this  variety,  and  as 
they  had  more  than  they  needed,  5,000  of  them  were 
purchased  for  our  state.  We  regret  to  say  they  did  not 
reach  the  state  hatching  house  in  very  good  condition, 
nearly  a  thousand  dying  on  the  way  or  the  day  after  their 
arrival.  Some  hundreds  of  them  however,  hatched  out. 

We  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  blue  backed  trout 
is  found  in  Oregon,  and  possibly  in  some  of  the  lakes  of 
Northern  California,  but  its  culture  artificially,  will  not 
probably  prove  profitable. 

SMELT. — These  fish  which  are  a  variety  of  the  salmon- 
oids  are  to  be  treated  very  differently  from  the  trout  and 


137 

salmon,  for  their  eggs  are  exceedingly  adhesive.  They 
ascend  the  rivers  in  early  spring.  In  the  neighborhood 
of  New  York  they  are  caught  largely  in  the  Raritan 
and  Passaic  rivers. 

About  five  miles  above  the  city  of  New  Brunswick 
there  is  a  dam  which  blocks  the  river,  and  which  the 
smelt  cannot  surmount.  The  fishing  grounds,  extend 
from  the  old  wooden  city  bridge  down  the  river  for  two 
or  more  miles;  very  little,  if  any  fishing  being  done 
above  the  bridge,  on  account  partially  of  the  little  depth 
of  the  water,  partially  because  the  smelt  appear  to  pass 
down  the  river  again,  after  being  impeded  in  their  on- 
ward course  by  the  dam.  The  smelt  are  caught  entirely 
with  seines,  which  include  in  their  sweep,  nearly  the  en- 
tire breadth  of  the  river,  averaging  about  thirty  rods. 

The  seines  vary  from  thirty  to  sixty  fathoms  in  length, 
one  hundred  and  eighty  to  three  hundred  and  sixty  feet, 
and  are  about  fifteen  feet  in  breadth,  with  meshes  one- 
half  inch  square.  The  time  of  working  the  seines  depends 
much  upon  the  state  of  the  weather  and  the  water,  but 
as  a  rule,  the  fishermen  are  engaged  early  in  the 
mornihg  and  again  in  the  afternoon. 

The  smelt  spawn  throughout  the  month  of  March,  the 
eggs  are  small  and  so  adhesive  that  they  must  be  deposit- 
ed upon  the  trays  where  they  are  to  remain.  There  are 
about  forty  thousand  eggs  to  each  medium-sized  fish, 
and  they  will  hatch  in  about  a  month  with  a  temperature 
of  water  of  from  thirty-five  degrees  to  forty  degrees,  or 
in  the  ordinary  water  in  the  river  in  about  eighteen  days. 
The  spawning  fish,  as  fast  as  captured,  should  be  placed 
in  tubs,  or,  if  not  ripe,  they  may  be  kept  in  ponds  till  the 
eggs  mature.  When  they  are  to  be  handled  a  tray 
dipped  in  water  should  be  placed  in  a  tin  pan  without 
any  water  in  it.  The  eggs  are  stripped  directly  on  the 


138 

tray,  and  the  milt,  as  soon  thereafter  as  possible,  then  a 
little  water  should  be  added,  just  enough  to  cover  the 
tray,  and  the  whole  shaken  about  till  the  eggs  are  evenly 
distributed.  A  few  minutes  expire  before  they  adhere 
finally,  but  when  adhesion  once  takes  place  they  must 
remain  undisturbed  till  they  hatch.  The  time  of  devel- 
opment is  so  short  that  there  is  no  trouble  in  their  man- 
agement, and  they  maybe  hatched  in  unlimited  numbers. 
The  spawners  may  be  stripped  directly  into  a  shad  hatch- 
ing box  and  that  left  in  the  current  of  the  river,  and  a 
large  number  hatched  in  an  ordinary  fish  car,  in  which 
the  parents  had  been  confined  to  mature  their  eggs  and 
in  which  they  had  spawned  of  themselves.  The  trays 
are  removed  to  the  hatching  boxes  after  the  eggs  have 
adhered  by  the  hardening  of  the  mucous  matter  that  sur- 
rounds them  and  then  treated  like  trout  eggs  except  that 
the  dead  fish  cannot  be  removed. 

WHITEFISH — We  have  received  the  following  com- 
munication on  the  hatching  and  raising  of  whitefish. 
No  one  has  had  greater  experience  or  success  with  this 
peculiarly  delicate  and  difficult  variety  of  fish  than  the 
writer,  and  whatever  he  says  on  the  subject  may  be 
regarded  as  authority : 

MADISON,  Wis.,  JUNE  22d,  1878. 
Dear  Sir  : 

My  experience  in  hatching  whitefish,  coregonus  albus,  is 
that  the  first  and  most  important  thing  to  insure  perfect  success  is 
to  get  the  eggs  well  impregnated. 

2d — To  use  great  care  in  transporting  them  from  the  fisheries  to 
the  hatchery. 

3d — To  give  them  a  good  circulation  of  water. 

4th — To  use  lake  water  or  water  of  same  temperature. 

5th — To  employ  sufficient  help  to  remove  all  dead  or  unimpreg- 
nated  eggs  every  day  for  the  first  thirty  days  after  they  are  placed  in 
the  hatching  boxes,  after  that  time,  once  in  two  or  three  days  is  quite 
sufficient, 


139 

Now,  in  taking  and  impregnating  the  spawn,  I  use  two  men  ;  while 
one  handles  the  female  the  other  handles  the  male,  and  I  find  by  so 
doing  we  have  but  a  small  percentage  of  unimpregnated  eggs  to  re- 
move, while  by  using  both  at  the  same  time  we  follow  nature  as 
nearly  as  it  can  be  done  artificially.  We  have  to  transport  the  spawn 
of  the  whitefish  for  our  hatchery  from  one  to  two  hundred  miles. 
We  use  what  is  termed  the  dry  process  for  transporting  them,  having 
an  attendant  constantly  with  them  to  handle  the  boxes  very  carefully 
whenever  it  becomes  necessary  to  move  them  at  any  time  while  en 
route  to  their  destination. 

I  also  take  great  pains  to  get  the  temperature  of  the  spawn  in  the 
boxes  equal  to  the  water  in  the  hatchery  before  placing  them  in  their 
proper  place  in  the  hatching  boxes. 

I  use  the  Holton  Patent  Hatching  Box  which  I  consider  the  only 
proper  appliance  for  hatching  whitefish  to  insure  a  genuine  success, 
all  others  that  I  have  seen  or  heard  of  have  been  a  failure  to  a  greater 
or  less  extent.  I  use  plenty  of  water  running  through  the  boxes  to 
cause  enough  current  to  nearly  lift  the  eggs  from  the  trays,  or,  in 
other  words,  I  use  as  much  as  possible  without  lifting  them.  I  use 
the  water  from  Lake  Michigan,  the  same  being  pumped  directly 
from  the  lake  into  the  hatchery,  therefore  we  have  the  same  tempera- 
ture of  water  that  the  spawn  have  that  is  deposited  naturally  by  the 
fish  in  the  lake,  which  I  consider  necessary  to  produce  good  healthy 
fish,  such  as  will  thrive  and  prosper.  In  fact  my  experience  in 
hatching  this  variety  of  fish  in  spring  water  and  also  in  lake  water 
has  convinced  be  that  those  hatched  in  spring  water  come  out  pre- 
maturely and  cannot  survive  more  than  a  short  time. 

I  find  it  also  necessary  to  remove  all  the  unimpregnated  eggs  as 
soon  as  possible,  also  to  wash  and  cleanse  them  'from  every  particle 
of  glutinous  matter,  after  which  I  have  no  trouble  with  their  matting 
or  sticking  to  the  trays  and  then  by  using  due  diligence  to  business 
I  never  fail,  and  success  crowns  all  my  efforts.  I  have  also  been 
experimenting  in  feeding  a  few  of  the  whitefish  of  the  last  two 
season's  hatchings  and  have  succeeded  in  keeping  some  forty  of  the 
hatch  of  1877  until  the  present  time  which  now  measure  from  six  to 
seven  inches  in  length.  I  also  have  about  the  same  number  from 
this  year's  hatch  which  are  growing  finely,  and  are  in  better  condi- 
tion and  more  thrifty  than  those  of  last  season  were  at  their  age 
which  is  no  doubt  owing  to  the  improvement  in  feeding,  which  we 
have  made  since  last  season.  The  great  trouble  in  raising  whitefish 
artificially,  is  in  teaching  them  to  feed  which  requires  both 
patience  and  perseverence.  We  commence  when  the  fry  are  from 


140 

ten  to  twelve  days  old.  We  use  the  blood  of  veal  or  beef  mixed 
with  sweet  milk  or  cream,  and  water  enough  to  make  it  as  thin  as 
water  itself  which  is  done  by  taking  a  small  quantity  of  the  blood 
into  a  dish  with  about  the  same  quantity  of  cream  or  twice  the 
quantity  of  sweet  milk,  and  then  stirring  it  thoroughly  ;  after  it  has 
become  welt  mixed,  we  then  commence  adding  water  and  continue 
to  add  the  same  until  the  whole  has  the  appearance  of  roily  water, 
when  it  is  ready  for  use.  We  then  pour  into  the  trough  at  the  up- 
per end  so  that  the  current  will  carry  it  down  the  entire  length  and 
give  the  fry  ample  time  and  opportunity  to  partake  of  the  food. 

The  first  positive  indications  we  have  that  they  are  feeding  is  the 
unusual  excitement  which  is  shown  by  their  continually  darting  hith- 
er and  thither  through  the  roily  substance.  In  a  short  time  you  can 
discern  in  them  a  marked  difference  in  the  color  of  the  body,  which 
loses  transparency  and  becomes  dark.  After  the  fry  have  been  feed- 
ing a  few  days  we  dispense  with  the  cream  or  milk  and  use  only 
water  for  thining  the  blood.  When  two  months  old  they  will  take 
liver  ground  fine  using  water  in  the  same  manner  as  with  the  blood. 
When  a  few  months  old  they  take  the  ground  liver  prepared  in  the 
same  way  you  prepare  it  for  young  trout.  Care  should  be  taken  not 
to  feed  any  food  in  lumps  as  they  seem  to  choke  easily,  in  fact  the 
only  fish  we  have  lost  of  those  of  the  hatch  of  1877  in  six  months 
past,  three  in  number,  have  choked  to  death  with  careless  feeding. 
They  become  nearly  as  ravenous  feeders  as  the  trout,  rising  and 
taking  their  food  near  the  surface  and  also  picking  it  from  the  bot- 
tom which  is  covered  with  fine  sand  kept  clean  and  free  from  de- 
composed food. 

I  have  no  doubt  those  I  have  been  feeding  the  past  fourteen  months 
would  take  the  hook  as  readily  as  the  trout  of  the  same  age. 

Yours  truly, 

H.  W.  WELSHER. 

Supt.  Wisconsin  Fish  Com. 


141 

CHAPTER  XII. 
SHAD   CULTURE. 

The  fish  for  cultivation  in  American  waters,  the  fish 
which  nature  has  given  us  preeminently  as  one  of  its  best 
gifts  to  man  is  the  shad.  Adapted  to  all  our  seaboard 
streams ;  once  numerous  in  every  river  that  emptied  into 
the  ocean,  from  Florida  to  Maine;  prolific  to  a  remark- 
able degree,  easily  manipulated,  requiring  no  aid  to  pro- 
cure its  support,  it  fairly  cries  to  man  for  his  assistance 
and  protection.  An  excellent  addition  to  the  table,  it  is 
welcome  to  the  epicure,  while  so  cheap  has  it  been  within 
the  memory  of  even  young  men,  that  it  was  not  denied 
to  the  poorest  among  us.  Of  course  it  has  been  grow- 
ing scarce  of  late ;  inroads  have  been  made  on  its  vast 
numbers.  The  fishermen  with  their  drift  nets  and  seines 
and  stake  oets,  of  which  there  must  be  thousands  upon 
thousands  ot  miles  in  the  entire  country,  have  done  their 
best  in  the  way  of  extermination,  and  have  almost  sue 
ceeded.  Some  streams  have  been  depopulated,  in  others 
fisheries  have  ceased  to  be  remunerative ;  the  markets  are 
being  scantily  supplied,  and  prices  have  risen  enormously. 
Shad  are  following  in  the  wake  of  salmon  in  consequence 
of  American  energy  ot  destruction.  A  few  years  more 
of  uncontrolled  pursuit  arid  shad  would  have  been  as 
rare  as  salmon,  and  selling  for  a  dollar  a  pound.  The 
want  of  legal  restrictions,  the  neglect  of  restoration,  or 
even  preservation  would  in  a  very  short  time  have  de- 
prived the  community  of  what  is  still,  in  a  semi-exhausted 
condition,  a  large  part  of  its  fish  food. 

HABITS  OF  SHAD. — Shad  make  their  appearance  along 
the  Atlantic  coast  of  the  United  States  early  in  the  year. 
The  first  school  usually  strikes  in  at  the  Florida  rivers  in 


142 

February,  and  is  succeeded  by  other  schools  which  enter 
the  streams  further  north,  as  the  season  advances  and  the 
temperature  of  the  water  increases.  It  was  for  a  Jong 
time  supposed  that  immense  shoals  of  herring,  shad  and 
other  migratory  fishes  traversed  the  ocean  in  certain 
circuits,  sending  off  divisions  at  all  convenient  spots,  the 
main  body  keeping  on  its  course,  and  these  smaller  armies 
filling  #nd  utilizing  for  spawning  purposes  the  various 
rivers  adapted  to  their  wants,  no  more  being  sent  to  each 
than  would  be  necessary.  These  voyages  were  even 
thought  to  extend  across  the  oeean  and  possibly  even 
around  the  entire  globe,  and  it  was  supposed  that  the 
shad  and  herring  which  visited  Europe  were  a  portion  of 
the  same  vast  body  which  skirted  the  coast  of  the  United 
States  of  America.  Investigation  has  tended  to  break 
down  this  theory,  and  it  is  now  generally  abandoned. 
It  was  found  that  over  fishing  in  certain  streams  diminish- 
ed the  yield  of  such  streams  without  affecting  others  that 
were  better  preserved  or  more  neglected.  This  would 
not  have  been  the  case  if  the  supply  carne  from  one  cen- 
tral source  from  which  all  rivers  were  equally  furnished, 
and  to  deplete  one  stream  would  only  lead  to  a  general 
diminution.  So  far  from  this  result  being  attained,  how- 
ever, the  rivers  of  Florida  were  as  crowded  as  ever  while 
the  fisheries  of  the  Hudson  and  Connecticut  were  almost 
at  an  end.  The  converse  of  this  experience  was  reached 
when  efforts  were  made  to  improve  the  supply  of  certain 
streams.  The  artificial  culture  of  shad  in  the  Connecticut 
and  the  Hudson,  under  the  fishery  commissions  of  those 
States,  has  improved  the  yield  in  those  rivers  to  a  marked 
extent,  without  having  any  effect  on  that  of  streams 
further  south  or  north.  A  few  shad  may  have  wandered 
into  the  Hudson  from  the  Connecticut,  or  vice  versa,  or 
may  possibly  have  strayed  even  further,  but  the  benefits 


143 

of  the  shad-batching  operations  were  practically  confined 
to  the  waters  in  which  they  were  practiced,  and  in  those 
waters  were  proportioned  to  the  extent  to  which  such 
operations  were  carried. 

Experiments  made  with  salmon  in  Europe  clearly 
established  the  proposition,  as  far  as  these  fish  were  con- 
cerned, 'that  they  always  returned  as  mature  fish,  after 
their  sojourn  in  the  ocean,  to  the  rivers  in  which 
they  were  hatched  and  from  which  they  emigrated 
when  young.  They  were  marked  in  various  ways 
usually  by  cuttiug  off  the  adipose  second  dorsal  fin 
while  in  the  smolt  stage,  when  they  were  preparing  to' 
descend  to  the  sea ;  and  it  was  found  that  they  invariably 
returned  to  their  breeding  places,  except  in  a  few  instan- 
ces, which  might  safely  be  attributed  to  accident.  Their 
residence  in  the  salt  water  being  short,  these  experiments 
were  easily  made,  and  as  the  fisheries  were  mainly  in 
private  hands,  and  under  close  supervision,  the  results 
could  be  obtained  with  accuracy.  Another  discovery  was 
made  in  the  same  connection  by  the  deep-sea  fishing,  to 
the  effect  that  these  same  salmon  did  not  roam  over  dis- 
tant portions  of  the  ocean,  or  even  descend  to  great 
depths,  but  remained  near  the  mouths  of  the  rivers  to 
which  they  belonged. 

Shad  remain  much  longer  in  the  ocean,  requiring  three 
and  four  years  to  become  mature,  although  the  males 
'  probably  reappear  a  year  earlier  than  the  females ;  but 
there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  same  rule  governs 
their  motions  that  applies  to  the  migrations  of  the  salmon. 
It  may,  therefore,  be  concluded  that  shad  do  not  roam 
about  the  "vasty  deep"  in  immense  shoals,  making  jour- 
neys of  thousands  of  miles,  and  sending  off  relays  to  each 
river  whose  mouth  they  pass,  but  that  they  remain  quietly 
near  the  streams  where  they  are  bred  till  the  time  comes 


144 

for  them  to  leave  the  ocean,  seek  the  fresh  water  and 
complete  their  duties  of  procreation.  No  migratory  tribe 
of  fishes  can  accomplish  the  round  of  its  life  duties  in  one 
element ;  it  may  live  and  grow  in  the  sea,  but  cannot 
breed  there ;  while  although  it  must  breed  and  may  live 
in  the  fresh  water,  it  will  not  attain  its  full  proportions 
in  that  element  alone.  Instinct,  which  could  hardly 
teach  them  how  many  of  their  number  to  direct  to  any 
given  stream  before  they  had  explored  it,  could  and  does 
inform  them  when  the  proper  time  of  year  has  arrived 
for  them  to  deposit  their  eggs.  The  temperature  of  the 
water  and  the  heat  of  the  sun  are  their  guides,  in  exact 
accordance  with  which  will  their  appearance  in  the  streams 
take  place,  occurring  first  in  the  more  southern  and  gradu- 
ally succeeding  in  those  to  the  north.  It  cannot  be  doubt- 
ed that  a  sensible  diminution  of  the  entire  shad  supply 
of  this  continent  has  taken  place  within  the  last  fifty  years, 
and  were  this  drawn  from  one  body  it  would  be  natural 
to  expect  that  while  the  rivers  first  reached  by  the  school 
would  be  filled  as  they  originally  were,  those  last  in  order 
would  be  left  utterly  bare.  In  such  case  the  school  com- 
ing from  the  south  would  send  off  their  full  quota  to  the 
streams  of  Florida,  Georgia,  South  and  Xorth  Carolina, 
until  the  entire  body  was  exhausted,  and  those  of  the 
New  England  or  middle  States  were  left  with  no  fish 
whatever.  Such,  however,  is  not  the  fact,  and  it  is  only 
those  streams  where  man  takes  more  than  his  proper  pro- 
portion that  are  being  gradually  depopulated. 

When  the  mature  shad  prepare  to  perform  the  duty  of 
propogating  their  race  they  direct  their  energies  to  that, 
and  without  intermission.  They  seem  to  be  pressed  by 
an  overpowering  necessity,  and  will  do  their  best  to  over- 
come all  obstacles  that  nature  or  art  may  have  placed  in 


145 

their  way,  and  they  never  rest  until  they  have  reached 
their  proper  spawning  grounds. 

With  all  this  class  of  fish,  it  is  essential  that  the  breeders 
should  reach  the  upper  waters  of  the  rivers,  where  alone 
they  can  spawn  and  hatch  their  young.  Were  a  dam  or 
any  impassable  obstruction  placed  across  the  river  for  a 
single  season,  the  entire  yield  of  that  year  would  cease, 
and  a  new  supply  would  have  to  be  obtained. 

Shad  being  a  migratory  fish,  spend  the  greater  part  of 
their  time  in  the  sea  where  they  find  their  lood,  for,  like 
most  migratory  fish,  they  do  not  feed  in  the  fresh  water; 
there  they  prey  on  shell  fish  or  other  small  creatures, 
which,  while  inexhaustible  in  number  are  wholly  useless 
directly  to  man.  In  February,March  and  April, May,  June 
and  July,  urged  by  the  re-productive  instinct  they  ascend 
into  the  fresh  water  to  deposit  their  eggs.  Unlike  sal- 
mon however,  they  do  not  go  far  up  our  rivers  nor  require 
special  conditions  of  locality  or  temperature  to  complete 
the  procreative  art  successfully.  They  seek  out  some 
rocky  ledge  where  there  is  a  gentle  current,  and  uniting 
in  pairs  press  their  vents  together  and  extrude  the  spawn 
and  milt  in  a  spasm  of  amatory  pleasure.  They  build 
no  nests,  the  act  of  spawning  is  performed  while  the 
loving  pair  are  in  rapid  motion — so  rapid  that  they  often 
spring  out  of  water  and  their  fluttering  along  its  surface 
is  clearly  distinguishable.  Their  only  precaution  against 
predatory  animals  is  that  they  spawn  at  night.  The 
eggs  are  left  to  themselves  to  the  mercy  of  their  enemies 
and  to  fate.  The  parents,  as  soon  as  they  are  through 
this  duty  of  their  existence  return  lean  and  wasted  to 
the  ocean  to  recuperate  and  enjoy  themselves. 

Here  is  incredible  wastefulness;  countless  creeping, 
crawling  and  swimming  creatures  live  upon  those  same 
eggs.  These  sneaking  enemies  search  the  bottom  and 

7 


146 

pry  into  every  cranny  and  crevice  for  them.  Their 
hunger  is  unsatiable  and  their  energy  untiring.  But, 
injurious  as  they  are  other  dangers  are  more  destructive. 
A  little  increase  of  current  will  wash  nine-tenths  of  the 
eggs  off  the  rocky  ledge  into  the  muddy  flats  where  they 
perish  for  want  of  aeration.  A  heavy  rain  will  roil  the 
water,  and  on  its  subsidence  there  will  be  deposited  up- 
ori  the  eggs  a  thin  covering  of  sediment  which  will 
destroy  them  all  absolutely  and  without  exception.  Eggs 
of  fish  in  order  to  hatch  must  be  continually  surrounded 
with  fresh  water ;  they  require  the  oxygen  of  changing 
water  just  as  land  animals  require  the  oxygen  of  chang- 
ing atmosphere.  Shut  a  man  in  a  small  room,  or  a 
mouse  under  a  glass  jar,  and  as  soon  as  he  shall  have  ex- 
hausted the  vitality  of  the  air  in  the  confined  space  he 
will  die.  Fish  and  their  eggs  can  be  smothered  in  pre- 
cisely the  same  way.  A  muddy  deposit  upon  eggs 
excludes  aeration  and  death  ensues  to  a  certainty.  There 
is  no  exception  to  this  rule,  and  this  is  the  most  fatal 
peril  to  which  shad  spawn  is  exposed  and  which  annually 
decimates  the  yield  of  young  fish. 

So  great  are  these  risks  that  shad  could  never  have 
held  their  own  were  it  not  for  the  compensation  of  their 
wonderful  fecundity.  They  produce  ten  thousand  eggs 
to  each  pound  of  weight,  which  is  ten  times  as  many  as 
salmon  or  trout  and  it  is  not  unusual  to  obtain  sixty 
thousand  eggs  from  a  single  mature  female.  This  is 
their  protection,  that  among  the  vast  number  laid  some 
will  hatch,  and  although  the  per  centage  is  small  the 
aggregate  has  been  large  enough  to  maintain  tho  supply. 
But  here  arises  the  most  serious  trouble  when  man  inter- 
feres with  the  established  order  of  nature.  Accident 
sweeps  away  just  such  a  proportion,  the  water  and  land 
creatures  which  feed  on  the  eggs  will  abate  no  jot  or 


148 

tittle  of  their  exactions,  so  when  man  steps  in  he  upsets 
the  scale  and  tumbles  the  whole  shad  fishery  into  con- 
fusion and  ruin.  It  requires  a  greater  annual  contribu- 
tion to  keep  up  the  yield  than  with  trout ;  it  falls  off 
proportionately  greater  when  this  contribution  is  cut 
down. 

ARTIFICIAL  METHOD. — Shad  eggs  differ  essentially 
from  trout  eggs  and  require  wholly  different  manipula- 
tion. They  are  much  smaller  and  lighter.  If  a  trout 
or  salmon  egg  is  dropped  into  water  it  sinks  at  once  to 
the  bottom,  but  a  shad  egg  will  almost  float,  and  has  but 
little  more  specific  gravity  that  the  water  itself.  Shad 
eggs  are  less  than  half  the  size  of  trout  eggs  and  require 
as  their  best  condition  for  hatching  a  temperature  of  from 
sixty-five  to  seventy-five  degrees.  They  will  hatch  at  a 
lower  temperature  but  in  such  cases  mature  slowly, 
while  eighty  degrees  of  heat  is  as  much  as  they  can  endure. 
When  experiments  were  first  made  in  their  artificial 
propagation  they  were  placed  in  ordinary  trout  troughs 
and  much  trouble  was  found  in  their  management.  If 
a  current  of  water  was  turned  on  to  the  same  extent  as 
with  trout  they  all  washed  over  the  end  of  the  troughs, 
while  if  the  supply  was  diminished  so  that  they  retained 
their  places  they  died  of  suffocation.  It  was  only  after 
many  different  devices  had  been  tried  that  the  proper 
invention  was  discovered — a  simple  box  with  the  bottom 
knocked  out  and  replaced  by  a  wire  gauze  netting.  This 
box  is  suspended  by  floats  of  wood  nailed  on  the  sides 
so  that  the  bottom  is  presented  at  an  angle  to  the  cur- 
rent, the  degree  of  inclination  being  determined  by  the  ve- 
locity of  the  current.  The  water  striking  against  the  screen 
enters  the  minute  interstices,  and  lifting  the  eggs  keeps 
them  in  gentle  motion  like  the  bubbles  of  air  in  a  pot  of 
moderately  boiling  water.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to 


U9 

attach  these  boxes  one  behind  the  other  in  a  long  row, 
anchor  them  in  the  river  and  fill  them  with  impregnated 
spawn  and  the  work  is  done.  The  continuous  motion 
of  the  water  passing  around  each  egg  and  holding  it 
suspended  aerates  it  perfectly  and  makes  its  hatching  a 
certainty.  Hardly  one  per  cent,  of  healthy  eggs  fail  to 
hatch,  and  while  the  process  is  going  on  hardly  any  care 
or  attention  is  required.  Fish  and  eels  cannot  enter  the 
boxes  to  prey,  nor  can  the  eggs  be  driven  out  by  the 
water,  and  lost. 

In  the  artificial  manipulation  of  shad  the  parents  are 
taken  in  seines  from  their  spawning  beds.  The  haul  is 
made  at  night,  at  which  time  only  can  ripe  "fish  be  found 
in  any  considerable  number.  The  captured  fish  are 
thrown  indiscriminately  into  a  boat  and  are  stripped  at 
once  as  they  die  quickly.  They  are  afterwards  sold  in 
the  markets.  The  eggs,  which  are  caught  in  a  pan  with 
a  little  water  in  it  after  being  allowed  to  stand  for  a  few 
minutes  until  impregnation  is  complete,  which  is  sig- 
nified by  their  swelling  in  size  and  reducing  the  temper- 
ature of  the  water  some  ten  degrees,  are  poured  into  the 
hatching  boxes  and  left  to  themselves.  Nothing  more 
is  required.  In  twenty  four  hours  the  black  eyes  of  the 
young  fry  will  be  visible  through  the  shell,  and  in  from 
three  to  ten  days  they  will  be  hatched.  So  rapid,  simple 
and  inexpensive  is  the  process  of  shad  culture.  There 
are  no  flannel  screens  to  be  washed  and  cleaned  every 
day  or  two  as  with  salmon  or  trout ;  no  rows  of  troughs 
to  be  examined  laboriously  with  benumbed  hands  in 
winter  weather;  no  weary  waiting  for  months  with 
every  hour  filled  with  danger ;  no  contagious  diseases 
or  spreading  conferva  to  be  guarded  against ;  no  careful 
superintendence  without  which  failure  threatens  ;  no  par- 
ticular selection  of  water  or  locality.  The  boxes  are  merely 


150 

anchored  in  the  stream,  tied  one  to  the  other,  the  eggs 
are  turned  in  by  the  hundred  thousand,  and  in  about  a 
week  there  are  myriads  of  minute  but  lively  shad  swim- 
ming about  and  begging  to  be  allowed  to  grow  fat  and 
feed  mankind.  The  eggs  are  as  a  score  to  one  in  abun- 
dance ;  the  loss  is  almost  nothing,  and  the  time,  trouble 
and  expense  are  infinitely  less. 

Nor  is  this  all.  When  the  trout  is  hatched  he  is 
encumbered  with  his  umbilical  sac  for  a  month  to  such 
a  degree  as  to  be  unable  to  protect  himself,  while  the 
shad  can  be  turned  loose  the  day  he  is  born.  It  is  true 
that  he  has  the  same  appendage,  but  it  is  a  small  one  and 
does  not  seriously  impede  his  motions.  In  habits  also 
the  shad  fry  exhibit  their  superiority  over  their  more 
aristocratic  cousins.  Instead  of  seeking  to  hide  their 
diminutive  heads  under  every  leaf  and  pebble,  and  in 
every  out  of  the  way  corner  playing  at  hide  and  seek 
with  death,  they  with  greater  wisdom  push  out  into  the 
deeper  water  and  broader  stream.  There  in  mid-river 
they  float  heading  up  against  the  current,  taking  the 
water  with  whatever  ot  microcosmal  food — invisible  to 
man — it  may  contain  into  their  mouths,  feebly  wagging 
their  limp  tails  to  keep  them  in  position,  and  slowly 
settling  down  stream  toward  the  ocean  where  they  are 
destined  to  pass  the  next  year  or  two  waxing  plump  and 
fat  for  the  benefit  of  man,  but  at  no  expense  to  him  of 
purse,  brain  or  muscle. 

The  discovery  of  the  habits  of  shad  fry  was  made  in 
rather  a  singular  way  and  exemplifies  the  dangers  to 
which  in  their  natural  condition  they  are  exposed.  As 
with  their  hatching,  so  with  their  treatment  afterwards  ; 
it  was  natural  to  follow  the  system  we  understood  and 
practiced  with  trout.  The  box  containing  the  first  re- 
sults of  the  fish  culturist's  skill  was  towed  near  the  land 


151 

and  some  of  the  fry  ladled  out  into  the  river.  Instantly 
a  crowd  of  minnows,  killey  fish,  dace,  chubs,  shiners 
and  all  manner  of  small  fishes  swarmed  from  all  direc- 
tions and  proceeded  to  devour  their  still  smaller  brethren, 
They  arrived  with  astounding  swiftness  and  in  incredible 
numbers.  Had  a  dinner  bell  been  rung  it  could  not 
have  summoned  a  larger  or  hungrier  congregation.  In 
a  minute  not  a  shad  remained  alive  to  tell  the  tale  ;  they 
had  gone  to  the  realm  of  the  departed  ;  the>  had  entered 
within  the  veil ;  they  had  sought  the  bourne  from  which 
no  traveler  returns.  In  other  words,  they  were  in  the 
rapacious  maws  of  a  lot  of  little  worthless  fish  which 
could  do  much  harm  but  no  good  to  any  one.  From  the 
stomach  of  a  little  shiner  not  over  an  inch  long,  which 
was  caught  with  a  dip  net,  seventeen  young  shad  were 
taken. 

By  this  time  it  had  become  apparent  that  something 
was  wrong,  so  the  rest  of  the  hatching  was  temporarily 
deposited  in  a  small  pond  built  of  sand  and  pebbles 
on  the  shore  of  the  river,  while  their  case  was  taken  un- 
der serious  consideration.  Next  morning  it  was  at  first 
thought  they  had  all  escaped  for  they  were  not  to  be 
found  anywhere  in  the  body  of  the  pond,  but  were  final- 
ly discovered  at  its  outer  edge.  A  long  narrow  pond 
projecting  into  the  river  was'  then  built,  and  pieces  of 
white  paper  placed  on  the  bottom  so  that  the  diminutive 
creatures  could  be  more  easily  watched.  Next  morning 
they  were  again  found  crowded  at  the  outer  extremity. 
The  problem  was  solved.  Instinct  had  taught  them  to 
seek  the  deep  water  where  their  insignificance  was  their 
protection.  Hardly  a  half  inch  in  length  and  not  more 
than  a  pin's  thickness  in  breadth,  they  would  escape  un- 
noticed the  monsters  of  three,  four  and  five  pounds 
weight  which  roamed  about  in  the  main  current,  while 


152 

the  terrors  of  the  mighty  deep  would  keep  away  their 
far  more  dangerous  enemies  of  an  inch  or  two  in  size. 
The  big  fish  would  not  see  them  and  the  little  ones 
could  not  follow  them. 

HANDLING  THE  EGGS. — Shad  do  not  spawn  during  the 
day,  but  commence  these  operations  about  dusk  and 
continue  them  till  midnight.  For  the  purposes  of  artifi- 
cial cultivation  they  must  be  taken  when  they  are  per- 
fectly ripe,  as  it  is  called,  in  other  words  when  the  eggs 
are  mature  and  ready  to  be  deposited  in  the  natural  way. 
So  it  is  that  over  these  beds,  and  during  the  first  half 
of  the  night,  the  seines  are  swept  to  catch  the  spawners 
and  milters  which  are  to  be  manipulated  scientifically, 
as  they  are  thus  secured  in  their  best  condition.  The 
moment  the  seine  is  hauled,  its  contents  of  all  sorts  are 
ladled  with  a  scoop  net  into  a  boat,  and  while  it  is  being 
set  again  the  fish  are  handled.  The  manipulator  has  in 
front  of  him  on  one  of  the  thwarts  a  tin  pan  containing  a 
little  water,  and  taking  fish  after  fish  he  holds  it  over 
this  with  one  hand  and  gently  presses  its  belly  with  the 
other.  The  ready  performance  of  this  is  a  matter  of 
practice,  and  if  the  eggs  and  milt  are  ripe  they  will  ex- 
ude under  a  slight  pressure.  As  last  as  the  fish  have 
been  stripped,  males  and  females  being  used  indiscrim- 
inately, they  are  thrown  into  another  boat. 

When  the  fish  have  all  been  stripped  or  the  pan  is 
full,  it  is  kept  in  gentle  motion  for  thirty  minutes,  after 
which  the  water  is  changed,  and  the  gentle  motion  and 
changing  of  the  water  alternated  until  the  eggs  swell, 
become  hard  and  distended,  and  the  impregnation  is 
perfected. 

In  the  course  of  the  first  fifteen  minutes  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  water  in  the  pan  falls  some  ten  degrees,  and 
the  eggs  finally  become  so  hard  that  they  feel  to  the  touch 


153 

like  shot ;  although  when  first  dropped  into  the  pan 
they  can  hardly  be  felt  at  all.  This  is  repeated  as  often 
as  the  net  is  hauled,  and  when  no  more  spawners  can  be 
caught,  the  pans  are  carried  to  the  hatching  boxes  and 
emptied  into  them.  These  boxes  are  covered  with  coal 
tar,  to  prevent  the  wire  rusting  on  the  bottom  and  the 
growth  of  animal  matter,  and  have  along  the  sides  sticks 
of  wood  acting  as  floats,  and  presenting  the  wire  screen 
at  such  an  angle  to  the  current  that  the  eggs  are  kept  in 
a  perpetual  boiling  motion.  The  boxes  are  fastened  one 
behind  the  other  by  ropes  attached  to  the  floats,  and 
need  little  or  no  care  except  to  be  occasionally  stirred  at 
slack  tide.  The  screens  on  the  bottom  have  a  square 
mesh  and  twenty-two  wires  to  the  inch.  The  eggs  exhibit 
life  in  twenty  four  hours,  and  hatch  in  from  four  to  ten 
days,  according  to  the  heat  of  the  water,  and  then  the 
living  fish  are  turned  out  and  left  to  care  for  themselves. 
The  only  precaution  taken  being  to  turn  them  out  at  night 
when  their  enemies  are  not  feeding  and  they  can  have 
time  to  get  into  the  deep  water. 

Instead  of  trusting  to  good  fortune  to  get  ripe  spawn- 
ers from  the  nets  these  may  be  obtained  in  a  way  similar 
to  the  treatment  of  salmon  and  trout.  .A  pond  may  be 
built  by  darning  up  a  stream  running  into  the  main 
river,  in  this  the  shad  may  be  confined  till  they  are  ripe. 
It  has  been  supposed  that  shad  were  so  timid  a  fish  that 
they  would  hardly  ascend  fish- ways,  and  could  not  be 
kept  in  confinement,  but  such  does  not  turn  out  to  be 
the  case.  There  is  no  difficulty  in  ponding  them 
and  in  examining  them  from  time  to  time  till  they  be- 
come in  proper  condition  to  strip.  They  are  not  more 
timid  than  other  fish. 

The  cultivation  of  shad  is  necessarily  a  work  of  public 
duty,  it  cannot  be  maintained  by  private  enterprise  as 


154 

the  increase  belongs  to  the  entire  community,  not  to 
any  individual.  This  may  be  a  communistic  possession 
of  property  but  even  that  is  better  than  no  property  at 
all.  It  is  an  easy  and  simple  branch  of  fish  culture  and 
were  it  assisted  by  proper  laws  and  the  breeding  fish  al- 
lowed to  reach  their  spawning  grounds  in  sufficient  num- 
bers its  results  would  be  astonishing.  As  it  is,  the  more 
fish  that  are  bred  the  more  fishing  is  done  and  the  closer 
is  drawn  the  barrier  that  shuts  them  out  from  the  upper 
waters  of  the  rivers  that  they  inhabit.  At  least  forty- 
eight  hours  in  every  week  should  be  a  close  time  during 
which  no  fishing  should  be  allowed  in  order  that  a  fair 
proportion  at  least  should  be  permitted  to  fulfil  the  du- 
ties and  necessities  of  their  continued  existence.  No 
skill  in  fish  culture  can  hatch  fish  when  there  are  no 
parents  from  whom  to  obtain  the  eggs.  That  proposi- 
tion is  self  evident. 

MIGRATORY  FISH  CONFINED  TO  FRESH  WATER. — An 
experiment  was  made  by  Mr.  Wilmot  of  Canada,  by 
which  it  is  thought  to  be  proved  that  salmon  can  live  in 
fresh  water  wholly,  if  they  are  permitted  to  migrate  for- 
ward and  back  from  the  great  lakes  into  their  fluvial 
tributaries.  This  change,  it  is  claimed,  satisfies  the 
demands  of  their  natures  and  supplies  them  with  abun- 
dant and  fitting  food.  A  similar  conclusion  appears  to 
be  reached  in  reference  to  the  shad.  A  number  of  the 
fry  were  deposited  in  the  Genesee  river,  and  were  seen  in 
that  and  Lake  Ontario, where  they  appeared  to  remain  till 
they  were  grown.  They  increased  in  size  year  by  year 
and  were  caught  frequently  in  nets  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Genesee.  Some  were  large  enough  to  be  marketed,  and 
it  is  possible  that  they  bred  of  themselves,  as  their  num- 
bers instead  of  diminishing,  augmented.  In  four  years 
after  they  were  introduced,  they  were  observed  in  im- 


155 

mense  shoals  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lake.  Still  it  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  both  of  these  fish  could  descend  to 
the  sea,  although  the  journey  would  be  a  long  one. 
Moreover,  it  has  not  been  shown  that  the  salmon  feed 
in  Lake  Ontario,  but  some  of  the  shad  that  were  caught 
in  the  lake  were  full  of  food. 

Another  interesting  experiment  resulted  with  similar 
success.  At  the  request  of  the  commissioners  of  Cali- 
fornia, some  twenty  thousand  shad  fry  were  sent  to  that 
state.  They  were  carried  through  the  vicissitudes  of 
their  journey  safely  but  at  the  cost  of  much  labor  and 
anxiety,  and  were  safely  deposited  in  the  Sacramento 
river.  Up  to  that  time,  shad  were  wholly  unknown  in 
the  Pacific  coast,  so  the  experiment  was  nothing  less  than 
to  introduce  them  into  a  new  ocean.  Of  course  the  un- 
dertaking was  most  doubtful  in  its  results.  There  were 
questions  of  water,  food,  temperature  and  so  forth,  which 
no  man  could  answer  and  which  had  to  be  referred  solely 
to  the  fish  themselves.  Fortunately  they  rendered  a 
verdict  in  favor  of  the  attempt.  They  adapted  them- 
selves promptly  to  their  new  home ;  they  explored  the 
neighborhood,  discovered  satisfactory  food,  made  them- 
selves contented  and  proceeded  to  possess  the  land,  or 
rather  water.  In  1874,  shad  weighing  three  and  a  half 
pounds,  were  caught  in  the  Sacramento,  which  they  were 
ascending  evidently  for  the  purpose  of  spawning,  and  in 
1878,  they  were  an  article  of  commerce  and  sale  in  the 
public  markets.  It  is  therefore,  possible  that  within  a 
few  years  the  rivers  of  the  Pacific  slope  will  teem  with 
this  excellent  fish  as  abundantly  as  was  once  the  case 
with  the  rivers  of  the  Atlantic  states. 

Attempts  have  been  made  to  transport  shad  eggs  and 
fry  in  salt  water,  but  without  success.  The  young  are 
delicate  at  best,  and  have  to  be  watched  with  the  greatest 


156 

care  during  removal  from  place  to  place,  and  the  oftener 
the  water  can  be  changed  the  better ;  about  6,000  is  as 
many  as  can  be  trusted  in  one  milk  can,  unless  for  very 
short  journeys.  A  plan  has  been  suggested  for  hatching 
shad  and  other  fish  in  still  water,  where  there  is  any 
power  by  steam  or  otherwise,  of  keeping  the  boxes  in 
motion.  These  are  made  ol  metal,  and  are  dipped  up 
and  down  by  being  hung  on  the  end  of  a  bar  lifted  and 
lowered  b}T  machinery  or  otherwise.  The  point  is  to  keep 
up  a  circulation  of  the  current  of  water,  and  any  arrange- 
ment that  effects  this  will  hatch  the  fish. 

The  time  of  shad  spawning  depends  upon  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  water  of  the  rivers,  which  must  be  between 
65°  and  80°.  This  differs  on  different  rivers.  On  the 
St.  John,  in  Florida,  and  in  the  Savannah  River,  it  is  in 
February  ;  in  March  shad  begin  to  run  into  the  Potomac, 
and  in  May  and  June  they  are  spawning ;  in  the  Hudson 
the  season  is  still  later,  usually  commencing  in  May  and 
closing  about  the  1st  of  July ;  in  June  it  begins  in  the 
Connecticut,  and  extends  up  to  the  middle  of  July;  so  that 
the  farther  you  go  north  the  later  the  season  is. 

It  is  propable  that  the  introduction  of  shad  even  into 
the  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi  may  be  a  success.  There 
was  a  four  pound  shad  taken  in  the  Ohio  at  Louisville, 
in  1877,  from  those  that  were  deposited  in  1872,  and 
there  were  forty  or  fifty  shad  taken  daily  during  the 
entire  spring  of  that  year.  Reports  have  come  in  from 
many  parts  of  the  west  giving  more  or  less  creditible 
accounts  of  the  capture  of  shad,  although  many  of  the 
circumstances  that  there  surround  them  are  adverse  to 
their  life  and  growth. 

ALEWIVES  AND  SALT  WATER  HERRING. — These  are  to 
be  hatched  like  shad,  and  ascend  the  rivers  to  spawn  at 
about  the  same  times.  Bartram  in  his  "  Harvest  of  the 


157 

Sea,"  p.1 168,  assures  us  that  in  England,  the  herring 
spawns  and  breeds  in  salt  water,  and  twice  in  the  year. 
This  is  not  the  case  in  America.  We  are  supposed  to 
have  a  herring  that  belongs  entirely  to  the  fresh  water, 
but  the  identity  of  which  is  not  quite  established,  but  our 
common  herring  is  migratory  in  its  character,  like  the 
shad.  Since  the  shad  was  introduced  into  the  rivers 
emptying  into  Lake  Ontario,  the  herring  seems  to  have 
appeared  there  having  been  seen  quite  frequently  in  the 
spring  of  1878  along  the  shores  of  the  lake  and  in  the 
streams  flowing  into  it,  having  entered  them  apparently 
for  the  purpose  of  spawning. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

BLACK  BASS  AND  OTHER  FISH. 

We  now  come  to  the  consideration  of  other  species  of 
fish  that  need  entirely  different  treatment.  Most  of 
them  are  rarely  cultivated  on  the  purely  artificial  plan 
in  consequence  of  peculiarities  of  their  habits  or  of  their 
ova.  The  fish  of  which  we  have  already  treated  have 
egrffs  that  are  loose  in  the  uterine  sacs  when  ripe,  and 

DO  *       '  '  .  ^ 

are  comparatively  free  from  mucous  when  emitted.  The 
eggs  of  the  trout  adhere  at  first  to  whatever  they  touch. 

«^O  v 

and  those  of  the  whitefish  need  a  little  agitation  for  a 
time;  but  these  qualities  do  not  interfere  with  their 
management  in  troughs  or  on  screens.  On  the  other 
hand  the  black  bass,' the  carp  and  their  cognate  varieties 
have  eggs  that  are  either  surrounded  with  a  glutinous 
fluid  or  attach  themselves  at  once  and  permanently  to 
whatever  they  touch.  Some  ot  them  can  be  rendered 
free  by  agitation  of  the  water,  which  is  readily  effected 


158 

by  placing  the  open  hand  upon  it  with  the  fingers  dis- 
tended and  moving  it  up  and  down.  This  keeps  the 
eggs  in  motion  while  it  does  not  bruise  or  crush  them. 

The  species  of  which  we  shall  now  treat  include 
the  black  bass,  Oswego  bass,  strawberry  bass,  rock  bass, 
white  bass,  pike  perch,  striped  bass,  yellow  perch,  pick- 
erel, muscalonge,  carp,  catfish  and  goldfish.  The  eggs 
of  the  white  perch,  pike  perch,  carp  and  goldfish  stick 
fast  to.  whatever  they  touch  on  emission,  and  must  be 
kept  in  motion  for  an  hour  to  remove  this  tendency. 
Those  of  the  fresh  water  bass,  yellow  perch,  pickerel 
and  muscallonge  are  surrounded  with  a  glutinous  matter 
coming  out  like  long  semi-transparent  ribbons  which 
may  be  attached  from  point  to  point  like  a  spider's  web 
A  change  of  water  is  needed  for  these,  but  not  so  strong 
a  current  as  for  the  eggs  of  trout  and  salmon.  The 
eggs  of  the  striped  bass  are  free  from  the  sticky  or  glu- 
tinous matter,  but  are  about  as  adhesive  as  whitefish 
eggs  and  need  agitation  for  nearly  an  hour. 

THE  BLACK  BASS. — This  is  among  the  finest  sporting 
as  well  as  food  fish  in  America.  It  abounds  in  the  clear 
waters  of  the  Western  and  Northern  lakes ;  bites 
fiercely  at  fly  or  tro wiling  spoon,  makes  a  vigorous  fight 
for  life,  liberty  and  happiness,  showing  a  perfect  willing- 
ness "  to  fight  it  out  on  that  line  if  it  takes  all  summer," 
and  at  last  when  subdued  and  brought  to  the  table  does 
honor  to  the  cook  who  prepares  it,  and  pleasure  to  the 
palate  that  enjoys  it.  It  is  unknown  in  European  coun- 
tries, and  exists  solely  with  us,  where  its  vigor,  enterprise, 
restlessness,  and  independence,  its  'athletic  but  not  alto- 
gether comely  appearance  make  it  rather  representative 
in  its  character.  It  is  self-reliant,  and  when  placed  iu 
new  waters  not  merely  makes  itself  at  home,  but  appro- 
priates the  locality,  explores  its  furthest  recesses  and 


159 

devours  its  aboriginal  inhabitants.  It  natural  distribu- 
tion was  through  a  few  of  the  lakes  of  New  York,  but 
mainly  in  the  North-western  States.  It  has,  however, 
been  acclimated  in  many  other  ponds  and  lakes  where'it 
now  flourishes  extensively.  The  black  bass  loves  bright, 
pure,  lively  water,  not  as  cold  as  the  trout  streams  of 
our  spring-producing  hills  and  mountains,  but  free  from 
foul  matters  held  suspended  in  it,  and  with  motion  either 
of  current  or  from  the  winds.  It  deposits  its  eggs  on 
rocky  or  pebbly  ledges.  The  parents  guard  and  protect 
their  nests  till  the  young  are  hatched,  and  even  watch  over 
the  latter  till  they  can  take  care  of  themselves.  Alter- 
nately the  male  and  female  stands  guard  over  their 
precious  possession  of  infantile  possibilities ;  if  one  is 
away  scouring  the  country  for  food,  the  other  is  on  the 
watch,  fierce,  brave,  resolute,  and  woe  to  the  unhappy 
intruder  who  would  steal  a  dinner  from  the  deposit  of 
bass  eggs.  The  bass  is  the  tyrant  of  the  fresh  waters ; 
even  the  big-jawed,  snake-like  pickerel  cannot  stand 
against  him.  His  teeth  are  long  and  sharp,  his  mouth 
is  large  and  threatening,  his  body  is  close  knit  and  stout, 
and  his  fins  are  arrowed  at  every  point  with  sharp  and 
poisonous  spines.  Such  a  creature  mounting  guard  over 
his  young  is  not  an  enemy  to  be  despised.  The  young 
need  a  mother's  care  for  some  days  after  they  are 
hatched.  They  have  scarcely  any  sac  and  need  food. 
They  cluster  around  the  mother,  and  she  takes  them 
where  the  food  is  and  teaches  them  how  to  get  it,  until 
they  learn  how  to  provide  for  themselves — just  as  an  old 
bird  teaches  her  young,  after  leaving  the  nest,  how  to 
get  their  own  food — then  she  leaves  them  to  take  care 
of  themselves.  It  would  be  just  as  impossible  for  a 
young  fish,  belonging  to  the  black  bass  family,  to  take 
care  of  itself  just  after  it  was  hatched,  as  it  would  be  for 
a  bird  just  hatched  to  take  care  of  itself. 


160 

Black  bass  is  one  of  the  most  prolific  varieties  of  our 
fresh  water  fish.  Their  natural  increase  is  so  great  and 
their  growth  so  rapid  that  it  never  has  been  an  object  to 
fish  culturists  to  attempt  their  artificial  propagation. 
When  the  spawning  season  draws  near,  they  select,  guid- 
ed by  natural  instinct,  with  great  care  for  the  purpose  of 
propagation  certain  portions  of  the  river  having  a  pebbly 
or  gravelly  bottom.  From  these  they  remove  carefully, 
all  sediment,  weeds  and  sticks.  This  work  completed 
leaves  a  clear  bright  space  in  the  bottom  of  the  river, 
circular  in  form,  and  having  a  diameter  of  about  three 
feet.  These  beds  are  readily  distinguished  by  the  casual 
observer  from  the  ordinary  bottom  of  the  river  by  their 
brightness,  the  gravel  having  the  appearance  of  being 
washed  or  scoured.  When  the  parent  fish  are  ready  to 
spawn  the  female  goes  upon  this  prepared  bed  and  de- 
posits her  spawn  in  a  glutinous  band  or  ribbon  running 
in  various  directions  across  the  bed.  She  is  followed  by 
the  male  who  impregnates  the  eggs  by  the  expression  ot 
his  milt. 

Their  care  ot  the  young,  (the  exercise  of  which  is 
peculiar  to  the  bass,  sunfish  and  catfish)  taken  in  connec- 
tion with  the  tact  that  a  large  pair  of  bass  will  deposit 
20,000  eggs, will  give  some  idea  of  their  fertility.  Possibly 
the  fish  are  capable  of  reproduction  when  two  years  old, 
having  at  that  time  attained  the  extraordinary  length  of 
eight  or  nine  inches,  but  this  is  mere  conjecture,  based 
more  particularly  upon  our  knowledge  of  the  size  and 
weight  of  the  fish  at  that  age.  They  frequently  attain 
the  weight  of  five  and  six  pounds  ;  in  rare  instances 
seven  and  eight.  They  are  unsurpassed  in  flavor  by 
any  of  the  perch  family. 

Some  ponds  have  been  stocked  with  the  fry,  but  it  re- 
mains to  be  seen  whether  this  will  prove  successful. 


161 

The  fry  are  very  small,  and  remain  but  a  few  days  over 
the  beds  where  they  are  hatched,  so  that  it  requires  very 
close  watching  to  capture  them.  They  are  removed  just 
at  the  time  when  they  are  accustomed  to  have  the  protec- 
tion of  the  parent  fish  and  they  are  all  liable  to  perish]in 
new  water  among  other  species  of  fish.  The  common 
and  the  most  reliable  method  of  introducing  the  bass  is 
to  transport  adult  fish  from  well-stocked  ponds  to  new 
localities.  This,  when  properly  done  and  the  water  is  suit- 
able, has  never  been  known  to  fail.  The  fish  do  not  bite 
freely  until  after  the  spawning  is  over  in  June,  and  they 
do  not  usually  reach  their  new  home  until  July  ^or  later, 
so  that  there  is  no  fry  from  them  until  the  second  year. 
The  fish  generally  selected  for  transfer  are  from  one  to 
three  years  old,  measuring  from  three  to  twelve  inches 
in  length.  Fish  of  this  size  are  not  only  more  numerous, 
but  they  bear  transportation  better,  and  are~more  readi- 
ly acclimated  than  when  larger.  They  are  moved  with 
a  great  deal  of  difficulty  in  hot  weather,  especially  when 
the  journey  requires  more  than  twelve  or  fifteen  hours  ; 
but  with  care  and  skill  no  serious  loss  need  takejplace. 
It  has  been  our  practice  to  distribute  these  varieties  dur- 
ing the  spring  because  we  had  facilities  for  obtaining 
full  grown  fish  at  that  season,  but  in  most  localities  it 
would  probably  be  necessary  to  transport  them  in  sum- 
mer. 

From  our  present  knowledge  we  cannot  recommend 
hatching  black  bass  by  artificial  methods,  although  the 
eggs  if  kept  in  motion  at  first,  can  afterwards  be  develop- 
ed in  the  shad  hatching  boxes  or  in  Holton's  boxes. 
They  take  five  to  ten  days  to  hatch.  The  fish  begin 
spawning  in  May  and  complete  the  operation  in  June 
and  remain  with  their  young  for  about  fifteen  days 
thereafter. 


162 

OSWEGO^BASS,  WHITE  PERCH,  ROCK  BASS. — The  same 
observations  apply  to  these  varieties  as  to  the  black  bass. 
They  spawn  a  little  earlier,  say  in  May  and  early  June, 
and  are  to  be  treated  in  the  same  way.  The  Oswego 
bass  is  not  so  exacting,  however,  in  the  quality  of  water 
that  it  affects  as  the  black  bass,  it  will  live  in  sluggish, 
warm,  discolored  streams  and  ponds  where  the  muddy 
bottom  produces  lilies,  grasses  and  weeds.  No  matter 
how  much  earthy  matter  may  at  times  become  suspended 
in  the  water,  the  oswego  bass  will  thrive  and  be  contented. 
It  is  known  as  the  "chub"  in  Virginia  and  other  of  the 
southern  states,  and  is  well  adapted  to  most  of  the  ponds 
of  that  section  of  our  country.  Its  flesh  is  good,  although 
coarser  than  that  of  the  black  bass,  and  it  is  the  fish  for 
home  consumption,  and  for  introduction  into  by  far  the 
larger  part  of  our  land  where  nothing  more  is  demanded 
than  a  certain  amount  of  fish  food  for  the  table.  It  is 
voracious  and  bites  freely  at  bait  or  trolling  spoon,  but 
does  not  give  the  angler  much  sport,  as  its  resistance  is 
feeble  and  not  sustained.  It  is  mainly  distinguished  by 
having  a  larger  mouth  than  the  true  black  bass,  and  by 
having  a  dusky 'stripe  along  the  side  called  the  lateral 
line,  which  is  more  visible  than  in  the  black  bass.  They 
are  often  confused,  and  even  the  scientific  names  have 
been  muddled  and  confounded.  They  were  known  as 
grystes  nigricans  for  the  black  bass,  and  grystes  salmoides 
for  the  Oswego  bass,  until  new  appellations  were  lately 
applied  of  micropterus  salmoides  for  the  small  mouthed 
and  micropterus  pallidus  for  the  large  mouthed  bass. 

PIKE-PERCH. — This  fish  which  passes  under  many 
aliases  as  the  grass  pike,  the  pike  of  the  lakes,  the  wall- 
eyed pike  and  pickerel  of  Canada,  is  an  inhabitant  of 
many  of  the  larger  waters  of  our  country,  and  was  former- 
ly abundant.  It  is  also  known  in  localities  as  the  Susque- 


163 

hanna  and  Ohio  salmon.  There  are  several  species,  which 
at  one  time  were  the  subjects  of  a  large  and  valuable 
trade,  and  which  are  still  highly  prized  for  their  table 
qualities.  Their  numbers  have,  however,  greatly  dimin- 
ished. They  require  a  free  range  of  water,  and  cannot 
be  confined  to  the  narrow  limits  of  private  preserves. 
Their  cultivation  and  extension  are  solely  a  matter  of 
general  public  interest.  They  spawn  early  in  April,  and 
the  eggs  if  extruded  by  hand,  must  be  kept  in  constant 
motion  for  an  hour  and  a  half.  They  may  be  hatched 
in  the  shad  and  Holton  boxes,  and  require  thirty  one 
days  for  development  in  water  at  a  temperature  of  34°. 
In  warmer  water  they  will  mature  in  ten  days. 

GOLD  FISH  AND  CARP — May  be  hatched  precisely  like 
pike  perch.  They  spawn  in  June  and  can  be  raised  to 
advantage  by  the  artificial  method,  as  in  their  natural 
state  the  old  ones  devour  the  young  as  fast  as  they  ap- 
pear. Persons  owning  gold  fish  ponds  are  often  sur- 
prised that  the  number  of  the  fish  never  increases,  and 
explain  the  phenomenon  by  the  supposition  that  they  do 
not  breed  in  confinement.  This  is  a  mistake ;  they 
breed  freely  and  abundantly,  but  the  fry  are  devoured 
unless  the  pond  has  a  shallow  shelving  edge,  with  grass 
or  weeds  where  they  can  lie  and  hide  from  the  larger 
ones.  The  motion  of  swallowing  is  peculiar.  The  prey 
is  not  seized  by  being  darted  upon,  but  is  sucked  in  by  a 
motion  of  the  water  into  the  mouth  and  out  at  the  gills 
of  the  larger  fish.  The  latter  will  remain  motionless 
while  his  destined  food  approaches  and  pauses  before  his 
l'aws,  when  suddenly  the  youngling  is  drawn  sideways 
and  disappears.  The  operation  is  well  adapted  to  the 
lazy  motions  of  the  gold  fish. 

The  eggs  of  these  and  kindred  varieties  may  be  hatch- 
ed on  baskets  made  of  wicker  or  boughs,  into  which  they 


164 

are  stripped  directly,  male  and  female  together.  The 
eggs  catch  on  the  twigs  and  remain  there  while  the 
basket  is  deposited  in  some  stream  with  a  gentle  current. 
Or  the  eggs  may  be  caught  on  glass  and,  after  being  fer- 
tilized with  the  milt,  left  where  the  water  can  flow  over 
them,  care  must  be  taken  to  shake  and  move  the  glass 
so  that  it  is  not  covered  with  more  than  a  single  layer  of 
eggs.  The  king  carp  is  strongly  recommended  for  in- 
troduction from  Europe,  where  it  attains  great  size  and 
enjoys  a  high  reputation  for  flavor  and  succulence.  It  is 
distinguished  trom  other  and  inferior  varieties  by  having 
only  a  few  scales.  There  is  also  an  American  carp  which 
attains  a  weight  of  eight  or  ten  pounds  and  is  occasional- 
ly seen  in  market. 

STURGEON. — As  an  article  of  food  the  flesh  of  this  fish 
is  not  to  be  despised.  In  England,  being  a  royal  dish,  it 
is  held  in  high  estimation,  and  every  sturgeon  captured 
in  the  British  Isles  is  the  property  of  Her  Majesty. 

Experiments  were  first  made  in  this  country  in  1874 
by  the  New  York  Commission  to  hatch  out  the  eggs 
of  this  fish,  but,  owing  to  the  difficulties  experienced  in 
obtaining  ripe  males  and  females  at  the  same  time,  the 
attempt  proved  unsuccessful.  The  year  following  these 
difficulties  were  overcome,  and  a  complete  success 
achieved. 

The  fishermen  were  constantly  netting  sturgeon  at 
New  Hamburg,  on  the  Hudson,  at  the  mouth  of  Wap- 
pinger's  creek,  at  which  place  there  appeared  to  be  a 
natural  spawning  ground,  and  on  June  7th,  at  10,  a.  m., 
a  ripe  male  and  female  were  caught.  As  the  fish  could 
not  be  handled  in  the  ordinary  way.,  the  female  had  to 
be  cut  open,  after  it  had  been  previously  ascertained  by 
experiment  that  the  eggs  seemed  to  be  perfectly  ripe. 


165 

The  eggs  were  quickly  placed  in  the  pans,  and  the  milt 
bag  cut  bodily  from  the  male  fish,  and  the  milt  pressed 
out  over  the  eggs. 

The  eggs  were  found  to  come  from  the  fish  in  an 
agglutinated  sticky  mass,  somewhat  similar  to  the  eggs 
of  the  perch  or  the  frog.  In  order  to  hatch  in  the  shad 
boxes,  it  was  necessary  that  the  eggs  should  be  free  and 
not  stick  together.  This  is  avoided  in  the  case  of  stick- 
ing eggs,  by  stirring  them  until  the  gummy  envelope 
dissolves,  or  is  washed  away.  It  was  found  almost  im- 
possible to  do  this  in  the  case  of  sturgeon  eggs,  but  by 
constant  stirring,  the  eggs  appeared  at  last  (thirty  min- 
utes to  two  hours)  to  be  in  a  state  which  would  justify  a 
trial  in  the  shad  boxes.  The  eggs  are  larger  than  those 
of  the  white  fish  and  measure  about  seven  to  the  inch. 
They  are  !of  a  dark  brownish  color,  with  the  yolk  show- 
ing black  through  the  opaque  brown.  On  June  ninth,  a 
brown  line  showed  itself  around  the  eggs,  being  the  first 
visible  formation  of  the  fish.  At  3  p.  m.  on  that  day, 
about  fifty -three  hours  after  impregnation,  the  first 
movement  was  observed  in  the  fish.  Almost  all  fish 
embryos  move  the  tail,  the  head  being  quiet,  these  stur- 
geon seemed  to  move  only  the  middle  part  of  their 
bodies,  the  head  and  tip  of  the  tail  being  quiet.  On 
June  tenth,  at  6  p.  m.,  the  young  sturgeon  commenced 
to  hatch,  the  next  morning  by  5  a.  m.  they  were  all  found 
hatched  out.  When  turned  loose  into  the  river  the 
young  fish  sought  the  bottom  immediately,  hiding  in 
the  mud  and  among  the  stones.  A  few  of  the  young 
were  kept  until  they  were  an  inch  long,  and  could  be 
seen  to  pick  up  food  from  the  sides  of  the  box,  but  it  is  im- 
probable that  they  could  be  kept  in  confinement  by  arti- 
ficial feeding.  The  food  sac  was  very  small  and  apparent- 
ly lasted  about  six  days.  The  time  of  hatching  was 


166 

about  one  hundred  hours,  with  the  water  ranging  from 
sixty-seven  to  seventy-four  degrees. 

The  importance  of  the  sturgeon  as  an  article  of  food 
has  never  been  fully  appreciated.  They  contain,  when 
ripe,  enormous  quantities  of  eggs ;  from  fifty  to  sixty 
pounds  being  taken  from  a  full  grown  fish.  From  its 
roe,  caviare,  the  national  dish  of  Russia,  is  prepared, 
and  a  company  is  now  profitably  engaged  on  the  Hudson 
and  the  upper  lakes  in  its  manufacture,  and  the  mature 
fish  attains  the  enormous  size  of  three  hundred  pounds. 
The  flesh  is  yellow  and  rich,  and  so  nearly  does  it  re- 
semble meat  that  it  has  been  nicknamed  "  Albany  beef." 
It  is  probably  possessed  of  greater  muscle  giving  and 
hunger  appeasing  qualities  than  that  of  any  other  fish, 
the  salmon  not  excepted.  It  is  delicious  food  when 
properly  prepared,  but  having  in  former  times  been  ex- 
ceedingly cheap,  it  came  to  be  despised  as  the  food  of 
the  poor.  Unless  something  is  done  for  its  cultivation  it 
will  soon  become  a  delicacy  only  of  the  rich. 

STRIPED  BASS,  ROCKFISH  OF  THE  SOUTH. — Contrary  to 
the  opinions  of  most  fish  culturists,  the  ova  of  the  striped 
bass  have  been  found  to  be  entirely  free  from  the  gela- 
tinous covering  which  always  surrounds  the  eggs  of  the 
perch,  pike,  black  bass,  Oswego  bass,  etc.,  etc.  It  flows 
from  the  fish  readily,  is  easily  hatched,  and  the  young 
fish  quickly  develop. 

Fully  half  a  million  eggs  have  been  found  in  females 
of  fair  size.  Striped  bass  are  more  numerous  than  any 
other  salt  water  fish  of  our  coast,  and  yet  they  are  daily 
growing  scarcer.  Their  habits  are  little  understood,  and 
their  times  and  places  of  spawning  still  uncertain.  It 
has  been  supposed  that  they  spawned  "kt  different  sea- 
sons of  the  year,  and  while  some  investigators  were  posi- 
tive that  this  act  was  accomplished  in  fresh -water,  others 


167 

were  equally  confident  that  it  occurred  at  sea.  The  most 
experienced  fishermen  of  the  seacoast — men  who  have 
followed  the  business  all  their  lives — have  been  consulted, 
but  were  far  from  agreeing  in  their  views. 

It  was  certain  that  a  number  of  these  fish  were  migra- 
tory, or  at  least  semi-migratory  in  their  character,  visit- 
ing the  fresli  waters  at  certain  seasons,  but  remaining  in 
the  new  element  for  an  unknown  period.  This  is 
proved  by  their  ascending  the  falls  of  the  Potomac  at 
certain  months  every  year,  and  their  appearing  in  other 
rivers  at  established  periods.  The  supposition  was 
natural  that  they  made  this  change  for  the  purposes  of 
spawning,  and  yet  it  was  equally  clear  that  the  vast  ma- 
jority of  striped  bass  never  left  the  ocean  or  the  salt 
bays,  coves  and  lagoons  which  are  connected  with  it. 

Striped  basa  are  the  most  numerous  of  the  salt  water 
fish  of  our  coast  from  Maine  to  Florida.  They  are  with 
us,  more  or  less,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  They  are  the 
principal  means  of  supplying  our  markets.  They  grow 
to  a  large  size,  and  are  extremely  prolific.  If  they  can 
be  cultivated  artificially,  an  immense  benefit  will  be  con- 
ferred on  the  community.  The  only  doubt  is  whether 
a  sufficient  number  of  the  spawning  fish  can  be  obtained 
in  ripe  condition. 

Those  that  spawn  in  the  fresh  water  ascend  the  rivers 
for  the  purpose  in  spring,  and  begin  the  operation  about 
the  month  of  May.  The  eggs  are  expressed  without 
difficulty,  and  hatch  in  eight  days  in  the  ordinary  shad 
hatching  boxes.  The  fry  have  little  umbilical  sac,  and 
may  be  turned  loose  immediately,  and  will  take  care  of 
themselves.  The  eggs  are  about  the  size  of  those  of  the 
shad. 

Striped  bass  have  a  peculiar  aptitude  for  both  fresh  and 
salt  water,  and  may  be  changed  from  one  to  the  other  with- 


168 

out  preparation,  and  without  detriment. "  They  will  live 
and  grow  if  retained  in  fresh  water  ponds,  to  which  they 
may  be  transported  as  soon  as  they  are  caught  in  the  salt 
inlets  and  creeks  in  which  the  young  usually  make  their 
appearance.  Whether  they  will  spawn  if  kept  wholly 
in  small  preserves,  we  do  not  know. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  experiments  in  fish  culture 
was  made  by  the  New  York  Commission  in  the  years  1876 
and  1877,  on  the  Hudson  river.  Shad  and  striped  bass 
were  not  only  successfully  crossed,  but  the  young  of  the 
mixed  breed  were  hatched  in  large  numbers.  The 
eggs  of  the  shad  were  impregnated  with  the  milt 
of  the  striped  bass.  Every  care  was  taken  to 
make  the  experiment  conclusive.  As  male  shad 
were  being  stripped  at  the  same  time,  and  it  was  possible 
that  the  sperms  might  be  in  the  water  around  the  boat 
where  the  nets  were  landed  and  the  operations  conducted, 
and  consequently  impregnation  be  effected  by  the  milt 
of  the  shad  itself  in  that  way,  the  utmost  precautions 
were  used  to  obtain  water  a  safe  distance  trom  the 
boat,  and  always  up  against  the  current.  It  was  thus 
made  certain  that  the  impregnation  was  effected  solely 
by  the  milt  of  the  striped  bass.  The  eggs  were  then  de- 
posited in  the  shad  boxes  as  the  bass  eggs  had  been  pre- 
viously hatched,  and  a  very  fair  percentage  of  them 
matured  in  the  ordinary  time.  There  was  a  marked 
difference  in  the  appearance  of  the  fry — a  difference 
clearly  observable  to  the  practiced  eye,  but  not  capable 
of  description  on  paper. 

These  results  seem  almost  incredible,  and  open  an 
entirely  new  field  in  fish  culture. 

If  two  such  wholly  dissimilar  fish  as  the  striped  bass  and 
shad  can  be  .crossed,  it  may  be  expected  that  all  varieties 
which  spawn  at  about  the  same  time,  and  hatch  under 


169  , 

analogous  circumstances,  can  be  treated  in  the  same  way. 
New  and  remarkable  species  may  even  be  originated, 
and  as  great  changes  effected  as  from  the  crossing  of 
flowers  and  fruits.  This  operation  was  repeated  in  1877, 
and  fully  ten  thousand  of  this  strange  combination  were 
hatched  and  turned  free  in  the  river.  They  must  soon 
prove  their  capacity  for  existence,  and  more  or  less  of 
them  should  be  caught  in  1879  or  1880,  enough  to  call 
attention  to  them  if  they  shall  have  successfully  solved 
the  problem  of  life,  and  combatted  the  dangers  that  en- 
compass them.  The  adaptability  of  bass  to  unusual 
circumstances,  their  capacity  ot  living  in  fresh  or  salt 
water,  or  changing  from  one  to  the  other,  and  their  inde- 
pendent habits  of  life,  make  a  favorable  result  extremely 
probable.  It  will  certainly  be  a  u  queer  fish  "  that  shall 
be  compounded  of  half  bass,  half  shad,  and  we  look  to  its 
appearance  with  interest. 

CATFISH. — These  have  habits  somewhat  like  the  black 
bass.  They  make  nests  and  guard  over  them  and  their 
young.  They  spawn  in  June,  and  are  exceedingly  pro- 
lific. The  young  grow  rapidly,  and  should  be  transport- 
ed about  the  time  the  mother  leaves  them,  while  they  are 
still  in  schools.  As  food,  there  are  few  better  fish  to  eat 
than  the  blue  cattish,  while  the  yellow  variety,  though  not 
quite  so  dainty,  is  equally  satisfying  to  the  cravings  of 
hungry  nature.  They  dig  out  a  room  two  feet  across  in 
the  solid  mud  at  the  bottom  or  sides  in  the  stream  or  pond, 
and  deposit  their  eggs  in  that,  and  lay  over  them  and 
fan  them  with  their  fins  until  they  hatch,  which  takes 
place  in  eight  or  ten  days.  They  leave  a  hole  open  as  a 
sort  of  door  to  their  hatching  chambers  to  give  them 
egress  and  ingress. 

LOBSTERS.  —The  American  lobster  is  found  upon  the 
Atlantic  coast  from  New  Jersey  to  Labrador,  and  yet 


v  170 

almost  nothing  has  been  published  in  regard  to  its  traits 
and  local  distribution.  It  lives  upon  rockv,  gravelly,  and 
sandy  bottom,  from  low  water  down  to  twenty  or  thirty 
fathoms  and  perhaps  deeper,  but  not  probably  at  great 
depths.  It  feeds  upon  any  kind  of  animal  matter  either 
fresh  or  decaying,  which  it  can  discover. 

In  Long  Island  Sound  the  lobster  fishing  begins  late  in 
March  or  early  in  April,  and  continues  till  late  in  the  fall, 
although  the  greater  part  are  taken  in  May  and  June. 
On  the  coast  of  northern  Massachusetts  and  Maine,  whence 
the  winter  supply  comes,  they  may  be  taken  nearly  all 
the  year  round.  The  time  at  which  the  females  carry 
eggs  varies  very  much  on  different  parts  of  the  coast,  be- 
ing later  and  later  as  we  go  further  north;  south  of  Cape 
Cod,  in  Long  Island  and  Vineyard  Sounds,  they  are  found 
carrying  eggs  from  the  first  of  April  till  late  in  June.  At 
Portland,  Maine,  they  were  carrying  eggs  till  the  middle 
of  August,  while  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy  they  are  found  with 
eggs  from  rnid-summer  till  September. 

Soon  after  the  hatching,  the  young  leave  their  parent 
and  live  for  a  considerable  period  a  very  different  life 
from  the  adult.  At  first  they  are  not  more  than  a  third 
of  an  inch  long,  and  have  scarcely  any  resemblance  to  a 
lobster.  They  are  furnished  with  long  swimming  branches 
to  the  legs  and  swim  abuut  freely  in  the  water,  living 
most  of  the  time  near  the  surface,  like  many  kinds  of  free 
swimming  shrimps.  With  each  change  of  the  skin  they 
become  more  and  more  lobster  like,  until  when  a  little 
more  than  half  an  inch  long  they  appear  like  veritable 
little  lobsters,  but  still  have  the  free  swimming  habits  of 
the  earlier  stages.  During  this  period,  which  must  be 
several  weeks,  they  are  constantly  exposed  to  the  attacks 
of  fishes  and  all  sorts  of  marine  animals,  while  they  them- 
selves pursue  and  feed  upon  still  smaller  fry.  Any  at- 


171 

tempt  to  rear  great  numbers  through  these  stages  in  con- 
fined areas  would  probably  prove  unsuccessful,  as  the 
young  at  this  time  require  a  great  amount  of  pure  sea 
water  and  peculiar  food,  found  only  where  minute,  free- 
swimming  animals  congregate. 

Alter  they  become  a  few  inches  long,  the  growth  of 
lobsters  is  slow.  They  increase  in  size  only  at  the 
times  ot  shedding  the  shell,  which  probably  takes  place 
only  once  a  year  for  those  of  ordinary  size,  and  the  increase 
at  each  of  these  changes  is  moderate,  as  may  be  seen  by 
comparing  the  size  of  the  cast  shell  with  the  lobster  a  few 
days  after  leaving  it,  although  the  increase  of  weight  is 
considerable.  In  lobsters  of  very  large  size  the  shell  is 
not  always  changed,  even  as  often  as  once  a  year. 

How  early  they  begin  to  breed  is  somewhat  uncertain. 
Females  not  more  than  half  a  pound  in  weight  are,  how 
ever,  found  carrying  eggs,  but  in  these  small  females  the 
eggs  are  comparatively  few  in  number.  The  average 
weight  of  lobsters  sold  in  New  York  market  is  about  two 
pounds. 

The  lobster  can  be  propagated  easily,  yet  there  are  al- 
ways more  or  less  difficulties  to  overcome.  One  of  the 
principal  is  to  find  a  place  suitable  to  build  a  pond,  and 
then  to  build  it  so  that  the  young  cannot  get  away.  The 
pond  should  be  built  in  some  place  where  the  salt  water 
sets  in  from  the  ocean,  and  should  be  screened  in  such  a 
way  that  the  water  can  flow  in  and  out  with  the  rise  and 
fall  of  the  tide.  It  should  be  fenced  on  the  seaward  side, 
and  possibly  all  around,  so  as  to  prevent  the  lobster  from 
going  over  the  land  to  the  ocean.  In  June,  put  in  a  few 
thousand  lobsters,  and  we  have  no  doubt  there  will  be  a 
most  abundant  return.  Lobsters  carry  their  spawn  under 
their  tails  until  they  hatch,  and  the  young  are  carried  in 


172 

that  way  for  .many  days,  when  they  drop  off.  Thence 
forward  they  look  out  for  their  own  food.  A  single 
lobster  will  hatch  as  many  as  1,000  young.  If  there  are 
many  lobsters  in  a  pond  it  will  be  necessary  to  feed  them, 
but  any  refuse  from  a  slaughter-house  or  fish-market  will 
answer  for  this  purpose. 

FROG  CULTURE. — There  are  many  stagnant  pools  about 
the  country  useless  in  their  present  state,  which  can  be 
utilized  by  converting  them  into  frog  ponds,  and  the 
man  who  could  raise  a  million  of  frogs  and  get  them 
safely  to  market  would  be  a  wealthy  man.  The  diffi- 
culties to  be  encountered  are  many  and  varied,  but  can 
be  overcome  by  patience  and  perseverance.  To  those 
who  feel  disposed  to  take,  advantage  of  it,  the  following 
results  of  two  year's  experience  will  prove  beneficial. 

Take  a  dipper  and  go  to  the  pond  where  the  frog  casts 
its  spawn.  A  close  examination  will  reveal  a  small 'glu- 
tinous mass  which  is  to  be  dipped  up  very  carefully  lest 
the  mass  be  broken  and  the  spawn  lost.  Place  them  in 
a  pail  filled  with  water  and  take  them  to  your  hatching- 
box,  which  is  made  after  the  fashion  of  the  shad  hatching 
box,  two  feet  long  and  eighteen  inches  wide,  with  No. 
12  gas-tarred  wire  sieving  on  the  bottom.  Anchor  the 
box  in  a  gentle  current.  They  will  hatch  in  from  seven 
to  fifteen  days,  according  to  the  temperature  of  the 
water.  Soon  after  they  are  hatched  they  should  be 
turned  loose  in  a  pond  prepared  with  great  care,  as  they 
have  numerous  enemies,  such  as  fish,  snakes,  birds, 
lizards,  coons  and  many  other  animals.  The  pond 
should  be  made  where  the  ground  is  springy,  and  should 
have  plenty  of  soft  muck  at  the  bottom.  In  this  the 
frog  lies  during  the  winter.  The  pond  should  have  a 
light  board  fence  around  it  so  that  animals  could  not  get 
in,  and  should  be  built  so  close  to  the  water  that  no  bird 


173 

could  stand  on  the  inside  and  pick  up  the  polywogs.  It 
is  absolutely  necessary  to  the  preservation  of  the  young 
fry  that  these  precautions  should  be  most  strictly  ad- 
hered to.  You  will  have  no  trouble  in  feeding  the  young 
while  they  are  polywogs,  as  nature  has  provided  for  that. 
In  all  waters  they  live  on  what  is  called  sediment  that 
collects  on  everything  lying  in  the  water,  unless  it  is 
strong  impregnated  with  some  mineral. 

Examine  this  sediment  under  a  strong  magnifying 
glass  and  you  will  see  that  it  is  all  animal  matter,  or  a 
formation  between  animal  and  vegetable,  and  is  proper 
food  for  the  young  fry.  They  will  eat  it  off  from  the 
sticks  and  stones  on  the  bottom  of  the  pond,  and  keep 
them  perfectly  clean.  An  old  pond  is  better  than  a  new 
one,  as  it  has  more  food. 

The  polywogs  will  grow  and  after  a  while  develop  in- 
to frogs.  We  cannot  give  the  precise  time  required  for 
this  change  as  we  have  had  them  change  in  one  season 
or  go  years  without  doing  so.  Probably  this  depends 
upon  the  temperature  of  the  water,  and  that  the  warmer 
it  is  the  faster  development  occurs.  The  hind  legs  break 
through  the  skin  first  and  are  followed  by  the  front,  the 
perfect  frog  varying  in  size  according  to  the  size  of  the 
tadpole.  When  it  is  finally  developed  the  frog  requires 
different  kind  of  food,  such  as  insects,  small  fish  or  meat. 
Naturally  it  will  only  take  living  food,  and  difficulty 
may  be  experienced  in  teaching  it  to  live  on  any  other. 
It  will  eat  minnows,  young  tadpoles,  or  flies  of  any  kind, 
but  the  ooze  on  which  it  existed  in  its  transitory  state  is 
no  longer  sufficient.  Flies  may  be  attracted  to  the  pond 
by  placing  stale  meat  around  it,  and  minnows  can  be 
supplied  in  certain  quantities  but  the  question  of  feeding 
the  frog  is  the  difficulty  in  frog  culture. 


174 

There  are  several  varieties  of  these  batrachians,  some 
of  the  southern  sorts  will  weigh  over  a  pound  apiece. 
The  largest  edible  sorts  should  be  selected  and  the 
market  for  them  will  be  found  to  be  unlimited  at  a  price 
hardly  surpassed  by  that  paid  for  fresh  trout. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  in  gathering  spawn,  not  to 
get  toad  spawn.  Frog  spawn  is  laid  in  a  bunch  like  a 
bunch  or^spongeof  jelly.  It  is  clear  with  black  spots  in 
it,  but  turns-  white  when  dead.  It  should  be  gathered 
carefully  and  the  jelly  which  is  essential  to  successful 
hatching,  should  be  broken  as  little  as  possible.  Toad 
spawn  is  laid  in  a  string,  the  female,  when  laying  her 
eggs,  walks  back  and  forth  carrying  on  her  back  the 
male,  who  is  impregnating  the  eggs  with  melt  as  they 
are  emitted.  When  lying  in  the  water,  it  looks  like 
glass  tubes  with  No.  4  shot  destributed  the  fourth  of  an 
inch  apart  the  entire  length  of  the  tubes.  Frogs  attain 
their  growth  in  from  three  to  five  years.  We  have 
recommended  putting  the  spawn  in  a  hatching  box,  but 
the  eggs  will  hatch  as  well  in  the  pond  without  a  box,  if 
they  are  not  liable  to  depredation  by  enemies.  And  if 
the  meat  that  is  put  around  the  pond  to  attract  flies,  is 
cut  up  finely,  the  frogs  will  soon  get  a  taste  of  it  and 
learn  to  eat  it.  When  they  have  passed  beyond  the  pol- 
lywog  into  the  frog  state,  they  must  have  a  chance  to  get 
out  of  the  water  among  the  grass,  and  if  the  pond  is  near 
the  house,  (as  it  should  be,)  there  is  less  danger  from 
animals.  We  have  seen  taken  from  a  spring  hole  in 
winter,  a  solid  mass  of  frogs  as  large  as  a  bushel  basket. 

PRESERVING  FLUID. — The  ordinary  methods  of  preserv- 
ing specimens  of  eggs  and  fish,  have  never  proved  satis 
factory.  We  have  obtained  the  following  receipt,  and 
have  tested  it  thoroughly,  both  for  delicate  young  fry 
and  for  fish  eggs,  and  have  found  it  entirely  successful, 


//  ^        or 

175        fijirn 

and  far  superior  to  the  preparations  usu^^iaJB^aO*^ 
It  preserves  the  natural  colors  in  almost  their  full 
brilliancy,  whereas  spirits  of  any  kind  destroy  them,  and 
both  the  fish  and  the  eggs  are  as  nearly  like  what  they 
appear  in  the  water,  as  it  is  possible  to  conceive.  For 
microscopic  observations,  it  is  invaluable  as  it  is  perfect- 
ly transparent  and  presents  the  growth  of  fungus  abso- 
lutely. Eggs  that  have  been  kept  in  it  for  weeks,  retain 
every  appearance  of  life,  they  exhibit  the  various  stages 
of  embryonic  development  precisely  as  if  they  were  just 
taken  from  the  trough,  the  changed  colors  of  the  living  or 
dead  eggs  are  preserved  and  the  outlines  of  the  embryo, 
its  eyes,  its  membranes  and  bones  are  plainly  visible.  It 
is  said  to  preserve  specimens  uninjured  for  years,  but 
certainly  our  experience  justifies  us  in  strongly  recom- 
mending it  to  all  who  desire  to  preserve  specimens  tem- 
porarily or  for  merely  microscopic  and  scientific  investi 
gation,  while  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt  that  it  would 
answer  equally  well  tor  a  longer  time.  The  objections 
to  any  other  preparations,  are  numerous,  as  every  one 
who  has  tried  them  is  aware,  but  this  appears  to  meet 
every  difficulty  and  can  be  safely  used  by  any  one.  In 
preserving  the  delicate  and  evanescent  colors  of  fish,  it 
adds  immensely  to  the  value  of  the  specimens,  which  in 
the  ordinary  preserving  fluid,  were  of  a  dull  unattractive 
and  unnatural  sameness  of  hue,  that  not  only  destroyed 
their  beauty  but  rendered  them  almost  undistinguishable. 
We  give  the  letter  as  we  receive  it. 

ROCHESTER,  N.  Y. 

The  preservative  Fluid,  which  we  prepared  for  you,  for  the  preser- 
vation of  the  ova  of  fishes,  is  composed  of  equal  parts  of  Glycerine 
and  Camphor  Water.  The  Glycerine  should  be  the  best  quality — 
(Price's  English  or  Bovver's  American.)  This  fluid  is  very  highly 
recommended  by  Lionel  S.  Beale,  F.  R.  S.  Mr.  Beale  has  prepara- 
tions which  have  been  preserved  in  Glycerine  for  twenty  years.  The 


176 

addition  of  Camphor  Water  prevents  any  tendency  to  mildew. 
Another  advantage,  and  one  of  especial  value  in  the  preservation  of 
ova  in  the  Glycerine  and  Camphor  Water  fluid,  is,  that  specimens  can 
be  prepared  and  forwarded  during  cold  weather  without  danger  of 
loss  by  freezing.  Respectfully  yours, 

C.  F.  PAINE  &  CO. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

FISH   CATCHING. 

We  now  come  to  the  second  division  of  our  work. 
Having  told  our  readers  how  to  hatch  fish,  we  will  now 
tell  them  how  to  catch  them.  We  do  not  propose  to 
enter  into  a  minute  consideration  of  the  subject,  but  shall 
confine  ourselves  to  a  few  general  directions.  Greater 
detail  would  make  this  book  too  large,  elaborate  and 
expensive ;  but  there  are  suggestions  and  advice  which 
will  be  found  of  value  to  fishermen,  who  may  then  sup- 
plement this  information  by  experience  recorded  in  a 
more  elaborate  form  in  other  works.  There  are  many 
ways  of  taking  different  fish ;  some  of  them  are  good, 
some  bad,  and  some  indifferent.  We  shall  only  give  the 
best,  and  mention  those  points  which  are  often  neglected, 
or  not  observed,  and  which  are  essential  to  what  has 
come  to  be  designated  as  "  good  luck."  There  is  more 
skill  than  luck  in  fishing,  as  in  most  things ;  and  the 
man  who  possesses  the  most  skill  will,  in  the  long  run, 
enjoy  the  most  luck. 

There  are  two  peculiarities  of  all  sorts  of  fish,  which 
are  frequently  unnoticed  ;  that  they  are  largely  attracted 
to  their  food  by  scent,  and  that  they  feed  at  night.  In 
all  muddy  streams  it  is  only  by  scent  that  they  can  dis- 
cover their  food,  for  their  eyes  are  no  more  capable  of 


177 

piercing  a  turbid  and  discolored  medium  than  ours.  At 
such  times  which  are  the  best  for  the  purpose,  as  the 
flood,  which  causes  the  roiliness  of  the  water,  carries 
down  worms,  grubs,  and  other  food,  it  is  apparent  that 
they  must  rely  wholly  upon  the  acuteness  of  their  powers 
of  smell.  On  such  occasions  it  is  wholly  useless  to  use 
artificial  baits  of  any  kind  that  only  appeal  to  the  sight, 
and  flies,  trolling  spoons,  or  artificial  minnows,  are  out 
of  place. 

Then,  again,  when  fish  are  scattered,  and  are  to  be 
attracted  to  a  special  spot,  recourse  must  be  had  to  similar 
means.  It  is  a  well  known  plan  in  striped  bass  fishing 
to  use  chopped  menhaden  to  cause  a  "slick  "  or  floating 
streak  of  oil  that  will  be  carried  long  distances  by  the 
tide  or  waves.  The  same  thing  is  done  with  still  fishing 
for  blue-fish,  and  without  this  assistance  but  few  of  either 
of  these  varieties  would  be  taken  on  the  sea  coast.  The 
same  idea  may  be  utilized  in  other  ways,  and  prove  how 
fish  may  be  allured  to  their  destruction  by  their  noses  as 
well  as  their  palates. 

It  is  possible  that  strong  smelling  substances  can  be 
employed  advantageously  on  baits.  This  has  been  main- 
tained by  many  writers  on  angling.  Assafoetida  has  been 
recommended  among  other  things  for  'the  purpose,  but 
we  cannot  say  what  its  value  is,  having  never  tried  it. 
The  main  point  to  be  borne  in  mind  is,  that  in  endeavor- 
ing to  catch  fish  as  much  attention  must  be  paid  to  the 
scent  as  to  the  sight.  They  must  be  hungry  indeed,  or 
of  the  coarsest  varieties,  if  they  will  take  stale,  rotten 
and  offensive  bait,  and  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  be- 
cause our  noses  are  not  available  under  water,  theirs  are 
not.  The  fresher  the  bait  the  better  it  is,  as  many  a  bass 
fisherman  has  found  out  in  a  blind  sort  of  way  with  his 
shedder  crab  or  his  bony-fish,  which  are  successful  when 


178 

firm  and  fresh,  but  are  ignored  when  old  and  unpalatable. 
It  is  said  that  eels  will  eat  putrid  meat,  but  even  this  we 
deny,  at  least  so  far  as  to  say  that  they  will  seek  it  when 
in  good  order  much  more  ardently. 

There  are  several  blind  fish  in  the  State  preserves, 
some  of  which  have  lived  in  confinement  for  years.  They 
have  to  contend  for  their  share  of  the  daily  food  against 
their  fellows  who  are  in  possession  of  all  their  faculties. 
Nevertheless  they  manage  to  get  their  full  rations,  and 
keep  as  fat  as  the  fattest.  The  food  is  thrown  in  at  in- 
tervals, and  the  fish  being  hungry,  and  knowing  from 
habit  what  it  is,  dart  at  it  without  fear,  making  the  water 
boil  and  foam.  It  would  seem  as  though  only  the  most 
active  could  obtain  any,  and  in  the  struggle  pieces  of 
meat  which  are  too  large  to  be  swallowed  at  once,  are 
often  torn  from  mouth  to  mouth.  Amid  this  hurly-burly 
and  confusion,  the  blind  would  seem  to  stand  a  poor 
chance ;  and  yet  against  such  odds  they  hold  their  own. 
Their  powers  ot  scent  must  be  wonderfully  developed, 
for  it  is  on  them  alone  they  can  rely.  They  do  not  go 
grubbing  on  the  bottom  for  such  pieces  as  may  have 
escaped  attention,  and  have  sunk,  but  they  dart  into  the 
crowd  of  ravenous  creatures,  and  carry  off  their  propor- 
tion in  fair  fight.  Compared  with  man's  helplessness 
when  deprived  of  sight,  their  self  reliance  is  incredible, 
and  must  be  seen  to  be  fully  believed. 

There  are  rivers  and  lakes  which  are  always  turbid, 
and  in  which  all  piscatory  life  would  cease  were  depen- 
dence for  food  to  be  placed  alone  on  sight.  The  Missis- 
sippi is  an  example,  its  waters  are  never  clear,  but  carry 
an  amount  of  sediment  which  must  render  vision  at  more 
than  a  short  distance  impossible.  It  is  not  suited  to  a 
great  variety  offish,  but  such  as  dwell  in  it  are  fat,  and 
often  attain  great  size.  In  the  rivers  and  waters  of  the 


179 

Mammoth  Cave,  the  fish  are  wholly  eyeless,  and  yet 
they  manage  to  obtain  food  without  difficulty.  Such  in- 
stances and  evidences  prove  conclusively  that  the  sense 
of  smell  must  be  consulted  in  angling  nearly  as  carefully 
as  the  sense  of  sight,  and  that  stinking  bait  will  not 
answer  for  a  "  lucky  fisherman." 

Another  way  of  taking  advantage  of  the  sense  of 
smell  in  fish  is  to  fill  a  box  perforated  with  small  holes 
with  bait  and  sink  it  at  night  or  in  roily  water,  so  as  to 
attract  the  fish.  The  best  attainable  food  should  be 
used,  such  as  worms  or  what  is  even  preferable,  the 
spawn  of  other  fish.  The  scent  passes  out  through  the 
holes  and  the  game  is  drawn  together  and  made  more 
eager  by  the  appetizing  smell  and  the  impossibility  of 
getting  at  the  food.  The  fisherman  then  offers  them  his 
bait  with  a  hook  and  line  included  and  they  cannot 
refuse  him,  but  are  quickly  deluded  into  his  basket. 
This  is  somewhat  of  a  poaching  and  unfair  method  of 
fishing,  but  it  is  successful. 

But  not  only  do  fish  possess  in  a  high  degree  the  sense 
of  smell,  but  they  are  possessed  of  a  smell  of  their  own. 
We  do  not  mean  that  "ancient  and  fish  like  smell" 
which  comes  to  all  fish  equally,  the  bony  fish  and  the 
salmon  alike,  when  they  have  been  left  out  of  water 
for  a  length  of  time  but  a  delicate  and  perceptible  odor 
that  clearly  distinguishes  one  species  from  another  so 
positively  that  a  person  who  has  studied  it  can  tell  them 
apart  blindfold.  A  little  investigation  will  satisfy  any 
one  with  keen  olfactory  organs  of  this  fact,  and  that  each 
kind  of  fish  gives  out  a  peculiar  characteristic  perfume 
that  can  be  recognized  with  a  reasonable  amount  of 
practice.  The  odor  of  the  smelt  is  plainly  perceptible, 
it  is  supposed  to  have  given  the  name  to  the  fish,  and  is 
observed  to  differ  in  the  two  common  varieties  of  smelt, 


180 

being  much  stronger  in  one  than  in  the  other.  This  is 
by  no  means  the  only  instance  :  some  species  are  easily 
distinguishable,  while  with  others  more  experience  is 
required. 

It  is  too  much  the  habit  with  all  anglers  to  seek  their 
sport  only  during  the  day,  for  often  better  fishing  and 
far  pleasanter  can  be  had  at  night.  So  common  is  this 
mistake, that  few  persons  know  that  fish,  as  a  general 
thing  feed  more  freely  at  night  than  during  the  sunlight 
hours.  In  some  trout  streams  the  largest  trout  are 
never  taken  during  the  day.  Caledonia  brook  is  an  in- 
stance. In  its  waters  which  are  as  clear  as  liquid  glass, 
the  big  fellows,  the  wise,  cunning  grandfathers  who  have 
seen  such  deceptive  offerings  as  flies  before,  cannot  be 
tempted  from  their  safe  retreats  under  logs  and  stones 
so  long  as  daylight  lasts  during  the  months  of  July  and 
August.  Only  when  the  sun  has  disappeared  and  dark- 
ness rules  can  the  fisherman  hope  to  lure  them  to  his  creel 
with  some  large,  light  colored  fly  ;  then  no  moon  must 
interfere  with  her  "  ray  serene,"  but  the  darker  the  time 
the  more  suitable  it  is.  A  little  piece  of  worm  on  the 
point  of  the  hooks  adds  to  its  killing  qualities  on  such 
occasions. 

In  other  matters  such  as  bass  fishing,  we  have  thought 
the  moon  to  be  an  advantage.  It  it  does  not  guide  the 
prey  to  the  lure  it  at  least  lends  beauty  to  the  scene  and 
bathes  in  its  pale  light  the  surroundings  of  the  fisher 
man,  which  are  often  so  exceedingly  beautiful.  In 
addition,  it  assists  him  in  his  work  and  enables  him  to 
handle  his  tackle  more  easily  and  play  his  fish  more 
comfortably. 

It  is  not  in  every  locality,  nor  with  all  varieties  of 
fish  that  night  fishing  is  successful.  In  the  ponds  of 
Long  Island,  although  trout  are  often  caught  by  poachers 


181 

on  set  lines,  they  are  rarely  taken  with  the  fly  at  night, 
and  fishing  for  them  would  not  pay  for  the  trouble. 
Whether  fish  will  bite  or  rise  at  night  is  a  question  that 
must  be  determined  in  different  localities  by  trial.  We 
do  not  know  any  rules  or  principles  that  govern.  There 
are  only  few  kinds  of  fish  that  we  know  of  that  always, 
in  all  places  and  on  all  occasions  bite  better  at  night  than 
during  the  day,  and  those  are  our  uneasy  friends,  the  eel, 
and  bullhead  and  catfish.  Darkness  suits  their  sinuous 
nature. 

The  next  suggestion  of  general  application  is  the 
desirability  of  using  the  finest  tackle  that  can  be  ob- 
tained and  that  is  otherwise  suitable.  When  we  look  at 
the  heavy  rods,  the  clumsy  materials,  the  coarse  lines 
and  the  huge  flies  that  are  so  much  in  vogue,  we  won- 
der that  any  fish  are  caught,  and  feel  that  we  cannot  too 
often  or  too  earnestly  press  upon  those  of  our  readers 
who  desire  to  reach  more  than  mediocrity  in  the  art  the 
necessity  of  fine  tackle.  We  have  found  anglers  fishing 
for  salmon  with  a  three-ply  twisted  leader  fit  to  haul  over 
the  rocks  the  heaviest  bass,  and  almost  capable  of  defy- 
ing the  shark-like  jaws  of  the  blue  fish.  We  have  seen 
gentlemen  at  the  club  houses  along  the  coast  where  they 
would  be  expected  to  be  educated  and  refined,  using 
double  brass  wire  for  leaders,  to  catch  striped  bass  in  the 
surf  in  order  to  escape  the  occasional  raids  of  the  blue 
fish.  But  more  objectional  than  all,  the  practice  of  a 
large  part  of  our  trout  fly-fishermen  is  to  use  a  leader  of 
gut  heavy  enough  to  hold  a  salmon.  Anglers  who  do 
these  things  will  never  be  "  lucky."  Instead  of  sighing 
for  better  fortune  or  envying  their  brethren  who  bring 
in  better  filled  baskets  they  should  heed  these  words, 
and  get  better  tackle. 


182 

It  is  true  that  until  the  angler  who  has  used  his  coarse 
tackle  gets  accustomed  to  the  more  delicate,  till  the  fly- 
fisherman  for  instance,  overcomes  the  habit  of  "  striking 
with  all  his  might,"  advised  by  one  famous  writer,  he 
will  meet  with  a  "smash  up"  now  and  then,  and  lose  some 
fish.  It  is  also  true  that  in  fishing  lor  striped  bass  in  the 
surf  with  a  single  gut,  a  blue  fish  will  frequently  cut  the 
line  and  carry  oft  bait  and  hook.  But  these  are  matters 
which  can'be  cured  by  practice  or  borne  with  equanimity, 
and  do  not  compare  with  the  sense  of  degradation  that 
one  feels  when  a  brother  of  the  angle  catches  all  the  fish 
and  carries  off  all  the  honors. 

If  we  find  that  we  are  taking  nothing,  while  our  neigh- 
bor is  doing  well  and  having  fine  sport,  we  should,  in- 
stead of  denouncing  the  fates,  attribute  the  disparity  in 
nine  cases  out  of  ten  to  his  finer  tackle,  unless  we  can  see 
that  he  is  a  better  fisherman  than  ourselves.  We  should 
try  to  find  out  at  once  in  what  our  inferiority  lies  and 
remedy  it  without  delay.  So  accustomed  are  people  to 
common  and  rude  implements,  that  they  will  at  first  think 
it  impossible  to  have  better.  The  tautog  fisherman  as  a 
case  in  point,  has  always  used  a  stick,  a  string  and  a  hook, 
or  what  is  even  inferior,  a  hand  line,  and  to  tell  him  that 
he  would  do  better  with  a  short  leader  of  silk-worm  gut, 
would  make  him  stare  and  laugh,  yet  the  change  would 
often,  especially  in  still,  clear  water  double  his  catch. 

The  rule  should  be  an  invariable  one,  that  for  fish 
under  ten  pounds,  a  leader  of  gut  not  heavier  than  that 
known  as  salmon  gut  should  be  used.  This  will  bear  a 
direct  strain  of  six  pounds,  and  should  enable  a  skillful 
angler  to  kill  a  salmon  that  would  weigh  fifty,  if  not  a  hun- 
dred. An  ordinary  flax  line  will  part  at  about  a  strain  of 
twenty-five  pounds,  and  a  three-ply  twisted  gut  leader 
will  support  about  eighteen  pounds.  A  fish  in  the  water 


183 

cannot  pull  as  much  as  half  his  dead  weight  out  of  it,  and 
under  the  pliancy  of  the  rod  does  not  exert  one  fifth  as 
much  force  ;  so  that  even  a  fine  trout  leader  which  will 
not  sustain  two  pounds,  direct  pull,  will  kill  a  fish  of 
many  times  that  weight,  if  scientifically  managed.  In 
giving  these  estimates  of  resistances,  we  would  say  they 
were  tested  hy  spring  balances  to  which  the  lines  were 
tied,  and  as  the  rupture  always  occurred  at  the  knots,  it  is 
probable  we  have  somewhat  understated  the  strength  of 
the  materials. 

It  must  be  understood  that  in  this  part  of  this  work  we 
are  not  writing  for  mere  novices,  and  we  presume  that 
the  reader  has  mastered  the  rudiments  of  the  anglers  art, 
and  has  had  more  or  less  practice.  We  put  forward  such 
hints  and  suggestions  as  our  experience  has  taught  us  to 
believe,  even  good  fishermen  have  not  always  noticed, 
and  which  if  acted  on,  will  tend  to  perfect  the  perform- 
ance of  those  who  have  passed  the  stage  of  mere  beginners 
and  desire  to  hold  the  rank  of  adepts.  Our  directions 
will  not  be  extended,  and  will  not  cover  the  simplest  fish- 
ing rules  or  maxims,  but  will  be  confined  to  what  may  be 
regarded  rather  as  finishing  touches  with  reference  to 
whatever  is  new,  and  not  mentioned  by  other  writers, 
with  perhaps  a  few  other  ideas  that  are  peculiarly  our 
own. 


184 
CHAPTER  XV. 

FISHING  FOR  THE  SALMON  FAMILY. 

FLY  FISHING. — Casting  the  fly  is  essentially  the  same 
sort  of  art,  whether  it  is  cast  for  salmon  or  for  trout,  and 
is  the  highest  development  of  the  angler's  skill.  It  is  no 
more  difficult,  perhaps,  than  casting  the  bass  bait ;  but 
the  delicacy  of  rod,  Hue  and  fly  required,  place  it  at  the 
head  of  all  kinds  of  angling.  In  salmon  fishing  a  two- 
handed  rod  of  some  twenty  ounces  weight  is  used,  with 
one  hundred  yards  of  line,  a  stout  single  gut  leader,  and 
a  large  fly.  In  trout  fishing  a  single-handed  rod  of  ten 
to  fourteen  ounces,  a  leader  of  the  most  delicate  gut.  ten 
feet  long,  and  never  over  eleven,  and  three  small  flies, 
are  the  proper  implements.  But  the  motion  and  method 
of  casting  the  fly  are  in  both  instances  essentially  the 
same;  and  the  man  who  can  wield  the  pliant  trout  rod 
deftly,  will  in  a  few  hours'  practice  master  the  stouter 
and  more  powerful  salmon  rod. 

There  are  all  sorts  of  fly  rods  manufactured,  and  each 
sort  has  its  advocates.  There  is  the  stiff  elastic  rod, 
made  of  cedar  or  bamboo ;  the  double  action,  made  of 
ironwood  arid  greenheart,  and  the  tough,  slow  rod, 
made  of  ash,  spruce,  or  hickory.  The  first  is  suited  to 
the  man  of  quick  eye  and  hand,  impatient  of  the  slower 
motions  of  the  others ;  the  second  is  adapted  to  the  de- 
liberate fisherman,  who  goes  on  the  plan  that  fish  hook 
themselves  ;  and  the  third  is  suited  to  the  careless  man, 
who  will  never  acquire  the  higher  development  of  his 
art,  but  wants  something  strong,  that  will  not  smash  up 
on  the  first  pound  fish  that  startles  him  with  its  unex- 
pected rise,  and  which  he  strikes  "  with  all  his  might," 


OF   TIIK 


UNIVERSITY 


and  endeavors  to  "  yank,"  without  m< 
native  element.  We  do  not  mean  in 
distinctions  of  material,  to  say  that  each  kind  of  rod  may 
not  be  manufactured  out  of  the  wood  spoken  of,  as  ap- 
propriate to  the  other ;  but  we  only  mention  the  mate- 
rials as  they  are  usually  applied. 

We  prefer  the  spongy  elastic  rod,  that  sends  the  fly 
straight  out,  even  directly  against  the  wind,  and  which 
controls  the  line  to  the  very  stretcher  fly,  under  all  cir- 
cumstances, and  on  all  occasions.  But  to  use  such  an 
implement  requires  strength,  often  the  entire  muscular 
power  of  an  unusually  strong  arm.  Where  two  fisher- 
men are  equally  skillful,  the  strongest  will  invariably 
cast  his  fly  the  farthest.  Let  there  be  no  mistake  about 
this ;  in  fly  fishing  there  is  not  merely  an  application  of 
delicate  manipulation,  but  often  the  violent  exertion  of 
the  utmost  strength.  It  is  the  combination  of  the  two 
qualities  that  wins.  A  line  seventy  feet  in  length  is 
heavy,  and  the  wrist  and  arm  must  be  vigorous  that  can 
lift  it  from  the  water  and  send  it  out  extended  to  its  full 
length  behind  the  fisherman.  The  difficulty  is  not  so 
much  in  the  forward  delivery  of  the  line  as  in  recovering 
it,  and  the  man  who  can  clear  the  line  well  behind  him, 
can  usually  send  it  out  over  the  water  with  the  help  of 
the  wind,  that  must  favor  him  always  to  enable  him  to 
make  a  very  long;  cast.  In  casting  against  the  wind,  the 
same  strength  is  necessary,  but  it  is  expended  on  a  shorter 
cast,  and  in  overcoming  the  opposition  of  the  wind 
while  the  line  is  being  delivered. 

A  limber  double  action  rod  casts  a  line  neatly  and 
easily.  It  is  the  king  of  rods  for  short  casts  in  moderate 
weather,  and  with  the  wind ;  but  for  rough  work  it  will 
not  meet  the  highest  demands.  The  man  of  moderate 


186 

muscles  and  sinews  should  stick  to  it,  and  the  lazy 
mediocre  angler  will  prefer  it ;  but  the  ambitious  sports- 
man, who  wants  to  be  "  head  of  the  heap,"  and  do  the 
best  that  can  be  done,  who  must  cast  over  a  "  break  to 
windward,"  or  reach  a  promising  spot  a  long  way  off,  or 
jerk  his  fly  under  an  overhanging  branch  if  there  is  a 
hope  that  a  trout  lies  perdu  near  the  bank  on  the  other 
side,  and  who  demands  a  tool  that  will  respond  to  his 
efforts,  wiH  condemn  it  as  not  up  to  the  mark.  Mr. 
Thaddeus  JSI  orris  made  his  rods,  which  were  of.  the  double 
action,  with  a  ridge  on  each  side,  so  as  to  give  them 
more  stiffness  if  they  were  held  edge  forward,  but  we 
were  never  convinced  that  this  remedied  the  difficulty. 

The  great  point  in  selecting  a  rod  is  for  the  angler  to 
adopt  the  kind  that  is  suited  to  him ;  get  one  that 
gives  play  to  his  best  powers,  and  then  stick  to  it.  This 
is  not  an  easy  matter,  and  our  readers  will  be  fortunate 
if  they  succeed  without  many  trials  and  much  disap- 
pointment. There  is  always  one  rod  that  suits  one  man, 
and  possibly  there  may  never  be  another.  The  endeavor 
is  to  bring  these  together,  and  once  joined  they  should 
never  be  sundered  till  death  doth  them  part.  But  it  is 
no  easy  matter  for  the  fisherman  to  tell  just  when  he 
has  the  rod  that  fits  his  body  and  mind.  He  gets  accus- 
tomed to  one,  and  a  new  one  comes  "  awkward  "  to  him 
for  a  time.  At  present  prices  they  are  expensive  play- 
things, and  only  the  richest  gentleman  can  go  on  testing 
results  at  a  cost  ot  twenty  five  to  fifty  dollars  for  each 
experiment.  We  can  only  assist  in  the  process  by  mak- 
ing such  suggestions  as  we  have  offered  above. 

In  winning  matches  in  fly  casting,  and  in  acquiring  a 
great  reputation  for  casting  prodigious  length  of  line,  the 
rod  is  of  essential  importance.  It  must  be  backed  by 
skill  and  strength ;  but  if  it  is  weak  and  faulty  ?  its  owner 


187 

will  never  take  first  rank.  The  difference  between  rods 
is  enormous,  and  there  is  not  one  in  a  hundred,  we  might 
say  one  in  a  thousand,  that  will  do  its  work  as  that  work 
should  be  done,  no  matter  how  admirably  it  is  handled. 
The  fault  does  not  lie  in  the  material,  nor  wholly  in  the 
taper,  but  there  is  a  subtle  something,  like  the  lines  of  a 
fast  yacht,  which  cannot  be  discovered  or  described,  but 
which  distinguish  failure  from  success.  Of  all  the  rods, 
hundreds  in  number,  that  the  authors  of  this  book  have 
owned,  only  one  was  suited  to  each,  and  one  of  those 
being  lost,  has  never  been  replaced. 

It  is  utterly  impossible  to  select  a  rod  in  the  shop 
where  it  is  sold.  It  might  as  well  not  be  handled  at  all 
as  handled  there.  The  only  test  is  use  on  the  stream. 
We  do  not  know  whether  any  of  the  makers  will  permit 
this  test,  common  as  it  has  become  with  guns,  but  it 
should  always  be  demanded.  A  rod  need  not  be  injured 
or  defaced  in  the  least  by  a  day's  careful  use ;  and  it  is 
as  much  to  the  interest  of  the  manufacturer  as  to  that  of 
the  fisherman,  that  the  latter  should  be  satisfied.  Doubt- 
less the  suggestion  should  be  complied  with  by  our 
dealers  as  soon  as  its  reasonableness  is  explained  to 
them.  In  this  way  some  idea  of  what  is  desired  can  be 
obtained,  ^but  the  choice  of  a  good  rod  is  a  matter  of  time 
or  luck. 

As  to  material  of  which  the  rod  should  be  made,  there 
is  probably  no  preference  among  the  higher  classed 
woods.  Bamboo,  if  split  or  inlaid  on  cedar,  is  the  most 
expensive,  and  is  now  the  favorite.  Iron  wood  was  the 
preference  of  the  late  Mr.  Norris.  Green  heart  had  a 
great  run  for  a  time,  and  in  the  hands  of  a  careful  man 
cedar,  although  brittle,  is  excellent;  but  ash  will  make 
a  fairly  good  rod,  and  so  will  lancewood,  although  the 
latter  is  rather  heavy.  We  speak  of  the  second  joints; 


188 

the  butt  may  be  of  anything,  and  the  top  should  always 
be  of  split  bamboo.  We  have  a  very  nice  little  rod  of 
spruce,  which  was  made  as  an  experiment  by  a  friend, 
and  presented  to  us.  It  will  not  cast  far,  but  for  light 
work  it  responds  neatly  and  easily.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  the  quality  of  the  wood  is  wholly  decisive  as  to  the 
qualities  of  the  rod,  and  should  only  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration generally. 

It  is  the'fashion  now  to  use  trout  rods,  weighing  not 
more  than  eight  ounces.  They  are  artistic  and  pretty 
little  implements;  and  for  streams  or  short  casts  on 
ponds,  are  very  pleasant.  They  will  not  cast  a  hundred 
feet,  however;  no,  nor  much  more  than  half  that  dis- 
tance. But  they  do  not  tire  the  wrist ;  and  where  fish 
are  as  scarce  as  they  have  become  in  the  more  settled 
regions  of  our  land,  they  will  probably  remain  in  vogue. 
Where  long  casts  are  imperative,  and  it  is  important  to 
kill  large  fish  in  a  reasonable  time,  they  will  not  answer. 
They  should  never  be  carried  to  the  wilds  of  Lake  Supe- 
rior, Maine,  or  Canada,  but  their  use.should  be  restricted 
to  Long  Island  ponds,  or  the  trout  brooks  of  the  Middle 
and  some  of  the  Eastern  States.  Although  we  have  rec- 
ommended fine  tackle,  we  do  not  approve  of  what  is  too 
fine  to  be  effective.  The  eight  ounce  rod  in  its  place  is 
very  beautiful,  but  all  places  do  not  belong  to  it.  It  is 
far  preferable,  however,  to  a  fly-rod  that  weighs  a  pound 
or  over,  and  that  is  suitable  to  no  place,  being  not  heavy 
enough  for  salmon,  nor  light  enough  for  trout.  A  trout 
fly-rod  for  all  work  should  weigh  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
ounces,  according  to  the  physical  strength  of  its  owner. 

Similar  observations,  varied  to  suit  the  varied  cases, 
apply  to  salmon  rods.  We  never  use  a  salmon  fly -rod 
under  eighteen  feet  in  length.  On  the  broad  rivers  of 
Canada  and  the  British  Provinces,  the  casts  are  often 


189 

long,  and  sometimes  extremely  difficult.  Frequently 
there  will  be  a  rocky  precipice  at  the  angles  back,  and 
only  a  narrow  ledge  for  him  to  stand  on.  If,  under  such 
disadvantages,  he  shall  find  salmon  breaking  at  the  fur- 
ther extremity  of  the  pool,  which  cannot  be  reached  from 
the  other  side,  he  is  apt,  unless  he  has  a  long,  powerful 
rod,  to  smash  many  of  his  hooks,  miss  many  of  his  fish 
in  consequence,  and  utter  many  thoughtless  and  incom- 
plete observations.  Trout  can  usually  be  approached, 
because  the  streams  in  which  they  lie  are  navigable  by 
boat,  or  fordable  by  man  ;  but  with  salmon  this  is  differ- 
ent, and  the  fly  must  be  sent  where  they  are,  whether  at 
the  foot  of  a -fall  or  the  head  of  a  rapid,  either  of  which 
would  soon  use  up  a  man,  or  his  frail  boat,  if  exposed  to 
its  fury. 

A  salmon  rod  of  twenty  leet  is  in  some  waters  prefer- 
able to  one  even  of  eighteen.  Weight  is  not  so  objec- 
tionable in  salmon  as  in  trout  fishing,  for  the  reason  that 
in  the  former  both  hands  and  arms  are  used,  and  there 
is  not  such  wear  and. tear  of  the  wrist.  A  dozen  casts  will 
usually  determine  whether  salmon  are  in  the  humor  for 
rising  in  any  pool,  and  then  it  is  as  well  to  wait  for  a  few 
moments  till  their  humor  changes,  as  to  go  on  urging  the 
fly  on  their  notice.  This  gives  a  rest  to  the  fisherman ; 
and  as  his  ground  for  fishing  is  always  limited,  he  is  not 
overworked  by  the  handling  of  his  rod.  Killing  his  fish 
is  what  tires  his  muscles.  With  trout  this  is  different,  and 
the  trout  fisherman  has  no  rest  either  while  wading  a  stream 
for  miles  at  any  pool  in  which  he  may  rise  a  fish,  or 
while  moving  from  spot  to  spot  in  a  boat  about  a  pond, 
where  he  can  only  fill  his  creel  by  persistent  effort. 

In  our  country  a  salmon  stream  is  ordinarily  a  mighty 
river,  dangerous,  and  at  places  impassable  to  the  frail 
canoe,  which  alone  can  navigate  it.  It  cannot  be  waded, 


190 

and  the  fisherman  must  be  careful  not  to* get  within  the 
grasp  of  its  powerful  current.  It  abounds  with  cataracts, 
whirlpools,  and  rocky  rapids,  in  which  the  canoe  is  as 
helpless  as  the  man  ;  but  in  which  the  salmon,  enjoying 
the  rush  and  turmoil  of  waters,  love  to  lie.  Perched  on 
some  commanding  rock,  the  angler  must  reach  all  por- 
tions of  the  stream,  and  cannot  select  his  station  or  move 
from  place  to  place.  He  must  accept  the  opportunity 
that  nature  offers  and  make  the  most  of  it.  When  he 
has  once  been  so  situated,  and  found  his  fifteen  foot  rod 
unable  to  command  the  best  pools  or  the  best  parts  of 
them,  he  will  register  a  solemn  oath  never  again  to  be 
caught  in  such  a  foolish  fix,  and  he  will  keep  that  oath 
better  than  he  does  some  others.  One  lesson  will  be 
amply  sufficient  for  his  full  enlightenment. 

LINES. — Practically  there  is  but  one  line  for  fly-fishing, 
either  for  salmon  or  trout,  the  braided  silk  covered  with 
a  water-proof  preparation,  and  tapered.  We  have  a 
fondness  theoretically  for  the  horse-hair  line,  on  account 
of  its  lightness,  but  we  never  use  it  «ow.  The  superior- 
ity of  the  water-proof  line  is  so  marked  in  every  point 
but  lightness,  which  in  itself  is  a  qualified  advantage, 
that  no  one  at  present  uses  any  other.  It  should  be 
tapered  at  both  ends,  in  order  to  turn  it  end  for  end  as  it 
wears  out,  the  first  portion  to  give  way  being  that  which 
is  most  exposed.  These  lines  were  at  first  only  made  in 
England,  but  now  they  are  being  generally  manufactured 
here,  of  a  quality  scarcely  if  at  all  inferior  to  the  import- 
ed article. 

The  trout  line  is  from  twenty  to  thirty  yards  long,  ac- 
cording to  the  size  of  fish  it  is  expected  to  catch,  and  the 
salmon  line  is  one  hundred  yards  in  length.  The  latter 
is  heavier  in  the  center,  but  they  both  taper  to  nearly 
equal  fineness.  Weight  is  necessary  to  make  a  long  cast, 


191 

or  to  cast  at  all  well  against  the  wind  ;  and  a  splash  in 
the  water  is  avoided  by  the  taper  and  the  casting  line. 
Such  a  line  will  last  a  lifetime  with  care,  and  without 
care  will  outwear  a  half-dozen  of  the  best  horse  hair  lines* 
ever  made.  It  never  has  to  be  dried,  except  out  of 
abundant  caution  in  case  the  entire  roll  on  the  reel  should 
get  soaked.  It  is  strong  and  reliable,  and  has  no  weak 
places.  It  will  not  cut,  and  it  does  not  catch  in  the  rings 
of  the  rod.  Old  fishermen  who  read  these  words,  and 
who  have  used  hair  lines,  will  appreciate  the  weight  of 
what  we  say. 

The  hair  line  is  lighter,  and  can  be  made  under  certain 
circumstances,  to  fall  more  gently  on  the  water,  but  in 
recommending  fine  tackle  we  do  not  mean  to  recommend 
any  that  is  too  fine  to  be  practical.  Some  men  use  a 
light,  limber  rod  in  bass  fishing,  because,  as  they  say,  it 
takes  them  longer  to  kill  their  fish.  This  is  Miss  Nan- 
cyism,  and  there  is  nothing  we  despise  more.  Use  the 
most  effective  tackle  under  all  circumstances ;  for  coarse 
fish,  strong  line  and  rod  ;  for  shy  fish  fine  lines  and  gut 
leaders,  but  always  that  which  will  kill  the  most  in  the 
shortest  time,  and  with  the  greatest  ease  and  certainty. 
When  you  go  sailing  for  blue  fish  it  would  be  a  folly  to 
use  a  line  so  thin  that  it  would  cut  your  hands  and  might 
not  hold  your  fish ;  but  in  casting  for  trout  in  clear  wa- 
ter, you  must  fish  far  and  fish  well,  and  to  do  this  the 
water-proof  line,  all  things  considered,  will  be  found  to 
be  the  best. 

CASTING  LINE. — More  important  even  than  the  line  is 
the  casting  line  or  leader,  as  we  usually  call  it,  made  of 
lengths  of  silk-worm  gut.  For  the  salmon  fishing  it 
should  be  of  round,  clear,  transparent  single  strands,  not 
too  heavy,  but  tough  and  strong,  and  tapered,  by  choos- 
ing the  heaviest  for  the  upper  portion.  No  double  or 


192 

twisted  leader  is  ever  necessary,  for  in  a  steady  pull  a 
single  strand  will  break  any  rod.  When  the  smash  up 
occurs,  it  usually  comes  from  striking  too  hard,  and  may 
be  avoided  by  leaving  the  reel  free  except  for  the  restraint 
of  the  click,  and  not  holding  the  hand  on  the  line.  When 
a  salmon  is  struck  he  often  makes  a  plunge  for  the  bot- 
tom, so  that  if  the  angler  both  holds  fast  the  line  and 
strikes  too  hard,  he  will  part  something — his  leader, 
whether  it  be  single  ply  or  three  ply,  or  in  default  of 
that,  his  rod.  Salmon  are  as  shy  as  trout,  and  the  tackle 
to  deceive  them  must  be  as  little  alarming  as  possible. 

For  ordinary  trout  fishing — we  do  not  refer  to  Maine 
or  Canada,  which  exact  heavy  tackle — the  gut  lengths 
can  hardly  be  too  fine.  They  should  be  tapered  the 
same  as  the  salmon  casting  line,  but  should  be  infinitely 
more  delicate.  The  gut  for  the  purpose  is  sometimes 
drawn  down  through  a  guage,  but  we  fancy  that  taking 
off  the  outer  skin  weakens  it,  and  we  prefer  to  select  the 
finest  strands  of  the  roundest  and  most  transparent  hanks. 
You  can  judge  of  its  excellence  by  the  wiry  way  in  which 
it  resists  the  leeth  when  it  is  bitten.  All  leaders  should 
be  at  least  two  feet  shorter  than  the  rod,  or  otherwise  in 
landing  heavy  fish,  the  upper  knot  will  enter  the  tip 
ring,  and  cause  much  trouble,  with  possibly  the  loss  of 
the  fish. 

We  cannot  too  often  repeat,  or  too  strongly  impress 
upon  our  readers,  the  necessity  for  the  finest  casting 
lines  in  fishing  in  clear,  bright  waters,  where  the  trout 
have  been  taught  to  be  shy,  and  comprehend  the  decep- 
tion that  surrounds  the  "  cruel  hook."  There  are  mo- 
ments, rare  indeed,  happily  rare  for  the  continuance  of 
our  sport,  in  which  trout  lay  aside  their  suspicions,  and 
submit  to  the  most  bungling  attempts  at  betrayal ;  but 
let  no  novice  put  his  faith  in  these.  They  are  ot  rare 


193 

occurrence,  and  short  duration  ;  ordinarily  the  willful 
creature  must  be  beguiled  and  tempted  in  the  most  subtle 
manner  to  be  won,  and  the  less  visible  the  "  entangling 
alliances  "  about  the  line,  the  more  probable  the  success. 
Ninety-nine  flies  in  a  hundred,  dressed  in  the  shops,  are 
tied  on  gut  nearly  twice  as  stout  as  it  should  be ;  but  the 
dealers,  as  an  excuse,  say  they  cannot  sell  them  other- 
wise. It  is  to  meet  this  assertion  that  we  have  dwelt  so 
long  and  earnestly  on  the  advisability  of  casting  fine 
lines  over  fine  waters.  We  have  hundreds  of  trout  in 
our  ponds  that  were  taken  with  a  fly,  and  they  know  the 
fish  rod  for  years.  If  you  hold  a  rod  over  the  pond  they 
are  out  of  sight  as  soon  as  they  can  find  a  place  to  hide. 

FLIES. — This  is  a  subject  of  infinite  variety.  We 
scarcely  know  where  to  begin,  nor  how  much  to  say. 
We  would  advise  every  angler  to  learn  to  tie  his  own 
flies — not  that  he  will  or  should  always  do  so,  because  it 
would  often  be  an  inexcusable  waste  of  time — but  in  order 
that  he  may  be  able  to  thoroughly  know  a  good  fly  when 
he  sees  one.  The  only  perfect  critic  of  a  picture  is  a 
man  who  can  paint,  so  the  only  correct  judge  of  a  fly  is 
one  who  has  made  them.  The  art  of  fly  tying  is  by  no 
means  difficult ;  there  is  not  the  same  labor  expended  in 
the  operation  that  there  was  formerly.  The  wings  are 
rarely  reversed,  and  good  varnish  makes  up  for  defects 
in  finish.  The  best  and  shortest  way  to  learn  the  modus 
operandi  is  by  taking  lessons  from  a  friend,  or  a  profes- 
sional. A  half  dozen  lessons,  with  some  practice,  will 
teach  all  the  essentials. 

The  fly-tyer  needs  a  few  utensils — such  as  spring-pliers, 
bench  vise,  mohair,  floss  silk,  gold  and  silver  tinsel,  var- 
nish, hooks,  sewing  silk,  and  feathers  of  many  kinds, 
especially  the  hackles  from  cocks'  necks. .  The  feathers 
may  be  wrapped  in  paper ;  even  put  into  open  envelopes, 


194 

if  the  whole  is  kept  in  a  box  with  a  few  pieces  of  camphor. 
No  insect  is  so  easily  defied  as  the  rnoth —  and  none,  we 
believe,  does  such  an  enormous  amount  of  damage. 
There  are  very  few  things  that  a  moth  can  or  will  eat ; 
but  those  that  he  does  fancy  are  often  valuable,  and  them 
he  destroys  utterly — furs,  flannels,  feathers ;  but  above 
all  feathers  are  his  delight.  He  simply  revels  in  the 
careless  fisherman's  stock  of  flies,  or  fly- tying  materials. 
Yet  he  cannot  penetrate  through  a  leaf  of  this  book, 
though  he  be  starving  on  one  side  with  abundant  plenty — 
a  groaning  board  of  delicious  feathers  of  most  delicate 
fibre  on  the  other.  He  would  perish  miserably  within 
scent  of  paradise.  Neither  can  lie  get  through  cotton 
goods  of  any  kind. 

How  many  anglers  wail  yearly  over  the  destruction  of 
their  flies  by  moths,  and  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  add  here 
how  many  anglers'  wives  compel  their  husbands  to  re- 
place ruined  furs  at  more  than  the  cost  of  a  dozen 
pleasant  fishing  trips,  when  the  simplest  precautions  are 
absolute  guaranty  of  safety.  Place  books,  flies,  feathers, 
furs  or  flannels,  either  in  paper,  gammed  with  mucilage 
at  the  edges,  or  in  bags  of  muslin  or  linen,  or  cotton 
goods,  of  any  kind,  and  no  evil  minded  moth  can  ever 
enter.  If  there  are  no  moths  or  moth  eggs  in  the  fabric 
or  materials  when  put  away,  none  will  ever  get  in.  For 
fly  books,  the  simplest  plan  is  to  have  a  muslin  bag  a 
little  longer  than  the  book,  with  a  tape  sewed  fast  an 
inch  or  two  from  the  mouth.  Put  the  book  in,  twist 
round  the  end  of  the  bag  tight,  and  tie  the  tape  firmly. 
That  is  all,  and  all  mothdom  will  gnash  its  teeth  in  help- 
less rage.  Other  things  may  be  put  in  large  bags  of 
brown  paper,  which  of  course  must  not  have  holes  in  it, 
and  the  end  -  can  be  gummed,  or  roiled  over  several 
times — for  moths  will  follow  an  opening,  however  nar- 


195 

row,  some  distance,  if  they  scent  game  beyond,  and 
the  parcel  is  then  to  be  tied  with  a  string.  The  man 
who  does  this  with  the  precious  means  of  his  sport,  can 
sleep  easy,  with  no  nightmares  of  merciless  moths  to 
disturb  his  mind. 

As  for  the  colors  of  flies,  we  can  only  say  they  should 
be  of  all  colors.  Their  hues  are  infinite,  and  their  name 
is  legion,  and  forever  changing  at  that.  Old  and  well 
known  varieties  are  continually  coming  up  under  new 
names,  till  no  man  can  keep  the  run  of  them.  What 
with  the  alterations  of  the  names  of  flies,  and  the  im- 
provements in  the  learned  names  of  fish,  it  has  got  to 
such  a  pass  that  the  poor  angler  no  longer  can  honestly 
tell  what  he  catches,  nor  what  he  takes  it  with.  If  the 
fly  dealers,  on  one  hand,  and  the  savans  of  the  Smith- 
sonian Institute  on  the  other,  keep  on,  we  poor  simple- 
minded  fishermen  had  better  give  up,  or  we  shall  soon 
know  as  little  what  we  are  talking  about  as  other 
people. 

There  are  delicate  shades  and  differences  of  color  in 
flies  which  affect  their  killing  qualities  whatever  writers 
who  love  to  generalize  may  claim.  Every  angler  has 
known  a  half  worn  out  fly  at  certain  times,  although 
its  feathers  were  partly  gone  and  its  color  almost  washed 
out,  prove  more  taking  than  a  fresh  one  of  precisely  the 
same  kind.  There  are  times  when  trout  and  salmon 
will  accept  simply  one  fly  and  no  other.  These  cases 
are  rare,  but  they  will  occur.  No  rule  can  be  given  to 
meet  them,  and  the  flies  used  in  different  localities  are 
so  entirely  different  that  no  special  directions  can  be 
given  concerning  their  selection.  Let  the  angler  have  a 
fairly  well  filled  book,  and  then  if  he  is  visiting  an  un- 
tried stream  let  iiim  consult  some  one  who  has  fished 
it  before  him.  The  salmon  flies  for  American  waters 


190 

are  more  simple,  less  gorgeous  in  golden  pheasant  top- 
knot than  the  English  and  Scotch,  and  for  sea  trout  and 
the  trout  of  Long  Island  and  the  ocean  coast  the  red 
ibis  is  in  vogue,  while  it  is  generally  discarded  on  inland 
waters.  The  latter  peculiarity  has  been  explained  on  the 
theory  that  trout  having  access  to  salt  water  take  it  for 
shrimp.  There  is  only  one  objection  to  this  explanation  ; 
shrimp  are  red,  it  is  true,  bat  only  after  they  have  been 
boiled,  and  as  trout  do  not  boil  their  shrimp  so  far  as  we 
know,  the  resemblance  to  an  ibis  is  lost. 

We  cannot  within  the  limits  of  this  work  give  rules 
relating  to  the  colors  and  make  of  the  innumerable  flies 
that  are  used  ;  for  that  a  book  equally  voluminous  would 
be  needed,  but  there  are  points  in  reference  to  their  size 
which  must  be  borne  in  mind,  arid  partial  directions 
that  we  can  give  for  their  tying.  For  large,  turbulent, 
rough  waters,  arid  early  in  the  season,  large  flies  are 
needed,  but  in  bright,  summer  weather  on  clear  streams 
or  ponds  they  should  be  as  small  as  they  can  be  made. 
There  is  a  regular  natural  gradation  between  these 
points.  In  Lake  Superior,  a  large,  coarse,  red  hackle 
made  "  buzz  "  as  it  is  called,  that  is,  with  the  hackle 
standing  out  the  whole  length  of  the  body  is  probably 
the  most  killing.  For  Caledonia  brook  and  the  ponds  of 
Long  Island,  in  the  day  time  during  J  uly  and  August, 
it  is  only  the  smallest  midges  made  of  various  colors 
that  will  take  at  all.  On  dark  days  larger  flies  may  be 
used  than  in  sunshiny  weather. 

In  disposing  the  three  flies  on  the  leader  or  casting 
line,  the  largest  should  be  used  as  the  upper  dropper 
and  the  smallest  as  the  stretcher.  This  arrangement 
will  maintain  the  taper  of  the  line  and  make  them  fall 
more  lightly  on  the  water.  The  gut  lengths  that  fasten 
the  droppers  to  the  leader  should  be  short,  the  upper 


197 

say  four  inches  and  the  second  three,  and  they  should  be 
tied  one  about  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  from  the  end  of  the 
main  line,  and  the  other  half  way  between  that  and  the 
stretcher.  For  very  short  casts  in  small  brooks  more 
very  small  fish  can  be  taken  in  a  given  time  if  the  three 
flies  are  placed  only  about  two  feet  apart  and  with  long 
strands  to  the  droppers,  so  that  they  may  be  all  trailed 
along  the  surface  'together.  This  arrangement  is  to  be 
adopted  by  enthusiastic  anglers  who  aspire  to  take  a 
thousand  trout  averaging  an  ounce  apiece  in  a  summer 
day,  but  will  not  suit  fishermen  who  seek  larger  fish. 

A  neat  and  ingenious  invention  in  fly  books  has  been 
made  by  a  gentleman  in  New  York,  for  holding  the  flies 
on  small  hooks  like  those  of  the  hooks  and  eyes  of  ladies' 
dresses.  The  plan  is  not  patented  and  enables  the 
angler  to  quickly  remove  or  replace  one  fly  without  dis- 
turbing the  others.  It  may  be  applied  to  an  ordinary 
letter  envelope  of  parchment  paper  which  can  be  made 
to  hold  a  dozen  flies  and  answer  all  the  purposes  o£  a 
fly-book,  for  a  day's  fishing. 

HOOKS. — As  to  the  selection  of  the  best  shape  of  hook 
for  fly  tying,  there  is  a  difference  of  opinion  between  the 
editors  of  this  work,  and  the  reader  will  have  to  choose 
between  them.  One  favors  his  own  discovery  and  what 
has  come  to  be  called  the  "needlepoint  hook,"  because 
it  was  originally  made  from  the  pointed  half  of  a  needle, 
and  the  other  prefers  the  sproat.  The  needle  point  hook 
has  no  barb,  being  in  this  particular  like  the  hook  of  the 
Chinese,  but  the  point  is  carried  well  forward.  There  is 
no  danger  from  what  most  people  would  suppose  might 
be  the  objection  to  it — the  loss  of  fish  after  they  are 
hooked.  It  holds  precisely  as  well  as  if  it  had  a  barb,  but 
the  point  is  so  long  that  there  is  risk — in  the  opinion  of 
the  associated  author — of  the  fish  rising  short  and  pull- 


198 

ing  vigorously  at  the  tail  feathers  of  the  suppositions 
insect  without  getting  his  lips  over  the  point.  This  may 
only  be  an  objection  in  certain  waters  and  with  shy- 
rising  fish,  but  it  is  guarded  against  by  the  sproat  in 
which  the  point  of  the  hook  is  almost  at  the  very  tail 
of  the  fly.  The  approval  or  disapproval  of  the  needle 
point  or  barbless  hook  will  depend  probably  upon  the 
habits  of  the  trout  among  which  it  is  used.  If  they 
rise  well  it  will  be  accepted,  if  they  rise  short  it  will  be 
discarded.  The  want  of  a  barb  has  one  great  advantage, 
the  fish  can  be  so  readily  and  quickly  taken  off  the 
hook.  This  is  sometimes  of  great  importance  to  the 
fish  breeder  who  may  use  a  needle  point  hook  in  order 
not  to  injure  the  fish  he  wishes  to  take  and  keep  for 
spawners. 

FLY  TYING  AND  SALMON  FLIES. — Ii>  is  generally  con- 
sidered that  fly  making  cannot  be  taught  by  written 
instruction,  but  at  all  events  there  is  something  that  the 
experienced,  and  an  immense  deal  that  the  partially  in- 
structed beginner  may  add  to  his  store  of  knowledge,  and 
if  the  following  directions  will  riot  make  a  novice  perfect, 
they  may  aid  him  when  he  has  had  a  few  personal  les- 
sons. To  tie  a  fly,  the  gut  should  be  singed  in  a  candle, 
or  bitten  at  one  end,  and  the  hook  and  thread  waxed  to 
insure  the  hook's  not  coming  off,  which,  when  a  fine  fish 
has  it  in  his  mouth,  is  a  heart-rending  casualty.  Take  a 
few  turns  with  thread  on  the  shank  of  the  bare  hook, 
nearly  to  the  head,  then  applying  to  gut,  whip  it  firmly 
on  by  working  back  to  the  bend  ;  under  the  last  turns  at 
the  bend  insert  whisks  for  the  tail,  dubbing,  floss  or  herl 
for  the  body,  and  tinsel  if  desired.  The  floss,  silk,  and 
dubbings  are  generally  spun  or  twisted  in  with  the  thread, 
and  then  wound  back  toward  the  shoulder,  but  they  may 
be  wound  on  before,  with  or  after  the  thread.  Care  must 


199 

if 

be  taken  that  the  turns  at  the  bend  be  firm,  and  when 
the  material  is  carried  back  the  body  is  finished  with  a 
couple  of  turns  of  the  silk,  a  hackle  is  then  introduced 
and  firmly  secured  by  the  smaller  end.  Wind  the  hackle 
around  the  hook  at  the  place  where  it  is  inserted,  and 
when  it  is  sufficiently  thick,  and  the  fibres  which  consti- 
tute the  legs  stand  out  well,  tie  it  down.  Prepare  your 
wings  by  stripping  off  the  requisite  number  of  fibres 
from  two  feathers  that  are  mates  so  as  to  have  the  two 
wings  alike,  tie  them  on  and  finish  off.  Securely  fasten 
the  thread  with  half  hitches,  or  by  passing  the  end  under 
several  turns,  and  varnish  with  a  little  copal  varnish. 
To  make  a  buzz-fly,  that  is,  one  with  the  hackles  the 
whole  length  of  the  body  instead  of  only  at  the  shoulder, 
insert  a  hackle  at  the  bend  at  the  same  time  with  the  body 
and  tail,  and  twist  it  around  the  body  after  that  is  put 
on,  and  fasten  it  at  the  shoulder.  The  wings  are  some- 
times laid  on  pointing  up  the  shank,  and  afterward  bent 
down  and  secured  in  their  places.  If  this  is  done  the 
head  need  not  be  varnished. 

To  make  a  salmon-fly,  the  following  additional  direc- 
tions, most  of  which  apply  equally  to  carefully  made 
trout  flies,  will  be  found  convenient.  Tie  on  the  gut  as 
before  directed  ;  upon  reaching  the  bend  fasten  the  spring 
pliers  on  to  the  thread,  and  do  not  take  them  off  till  the 
fly  is  finished.  Take  two  turns  with  the  silk  over  a  strip 
of  tinsel,  pass  the  latter  several  times  around  the  hook 
to  form  the  tag,  fasten  it  with  the  silk  and  cut  it  off;  in- 
troduce the  floss  for  the  tip,  take  several  turns  evenly, 
tie  it  down  and  cut  off  the  end ;  introduce  the  tail,  and 
then  a  piece  of  herl,  wind  the  herl  at  the  root  of  the  tail 
and  fasten  it ;  take  in  a  new  piece  of  tinsel  and  a  haqkle 
by  rubbing  back  all  the  fibres  but  a  few  at  the  point, 
leave  both  pointing  from  the  head  ;  take  a  small  piece  of 


200 

v 

mohair  between  your  fingers,  break  it  over  and  over  again 
into  small  pieces,  lengthen  it  out  and  twist  it  round  the 
silk  toward  the  left,  as  otherwise  it  will  unlay  in  wind- 
ing ;  wind  the  silk  and  mohair  together  round  the  shank 
to  the  shoulder ;  leave  a  space  of  bare  hook  at  the  head 
sufficient  for  the  wings.  Wind  in  loose  coils  first  the  tinsel 
and  then  the  hackle,  and  fasten  both  at  the  shoulder. 
Strip  two  wings  from  feathers  that  have  been  taken  from 
the  opposite  sides  of  the  bird,  place  them  together,  hold 
them  firmly  on  the  hook  with  the  left  forefinger  and 
thumb,  and  fasten  them  securely  ;  cut  off  the-ends,  insert 
a  piece  of  herl,  wind  it  over  the  head  and  tie  it  down. 
Lay  the  end  of  the  silk  back  down  the  shank,  and  take 
three  turns  with  the  other  part  over  silk,  hook  and  gut ; 
pass  the  gut  end  through  the  loop  three  times  and  draw 
the  silk  tight. 

Two  turns  of  silk  should  hold  the  different  parts  dur- 
ing the  entire  operation,  and  a  couple  of  half  hitches 
under  the  wings  at  the  shoulders  are  sometimes  used  to 
fasten  off,  and  the  feathers  should  be  mated  to  make  neatv 
wings  ;  and  if  they  are  laid  right  side  out  they  will  close 
round  the  hook  ;  if  otherwise,  they  will  stand  out.  Do 
not  fail  to  varnish  at  the  head  with  wood  varnish,  or 
some  other  kind  that  will  dry  rapidly.  The  hackle  may 
be  introduced  at  the  shoulder.  When  herl  or  floss  is 
used  for  the  body,  it  is  wound  on  separately  from  the 
tying  silk,  which  is  sometimes  passed  in  open  coils  after- 
ward. A  second  hackle  of  a  different  color,  or  a  feather 
wound  like  a  hackle,  may  be  introduced  after  the  first, 
or  after  the  wings  and  before  the  head  is  finished,  and  is 
called  the  legs.  The  wings  must  be  tied  above  the  dub- 
bing on  the  bare  hook,  or  they  will  be  liable  to  turn, 
especially  where  floss  silk  is  used  on  the  body.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  Canadian  salmon  flies : 


201 

No.  1,  Louise. — An  extremely  beautiful  fly,  having 
wings  composed  of  the  golden  pheasant's  top-knot,  breast 
feather  and  tail,  with  sprigs  from  the  green  parrot,  blue 
macaw,  and  kingfisher  ;  the  body  is  fiery  brown  mohair, 
with  gold  twist  ;  the  head  of  orange  mohair ;  the  tail  a 
single  feather  from  the  golden  pheasant's  top-knot  ;  red- 
dish brown  hackle  and  jay  legs. 

No.  2,  Edwin. — A  much  simpler  fly,  and  often  equally 
efficcaious  among  the  fins,  the  wings  being  composed  ot 
the  golden  pheasant's  tail  feather,  with  a  dash  of  yellow 
macaw;  the  body  yellow  mohair;  ribs  of  black  silk; 
head  black  mohair ;  tail,  golden  pheasant's  top-knot ; 
hackle  yellow  and  scarlet  silk  tip. 

No.  3,  Forsyth. — Wings  of  the  yellow  macaw,  with  a 
slight  dash  of  mallard  wings  at  each  side  ;  yellow  mohair 
body,  with  black  ribs;  head  black  ;  tail,  golden  pheasant's 
top-knot ;  hackle,  yellow,  with  light  blue  silk  tip. 

No.  4,  Stephens. — Wings  of  golden  pheasant's  breast 
feather,  with  slight  mixture  of  mallard;  body  of  reddish 
brick-colored  silk,  gold  twist ;  head,  black  ostrich ;  tail, 
golden  pheasant's  top-knot ;  hackle,  red,  to  match  the 
body  ;  tip  blue  silk. 

No.  5,  Ross. — Wings  of  mallard  and  peacock's  herl ; 
body,  cinnamon-colored  silk,  gold  twist ;  no  head ;  tail, 
green  parrot ;  red  and  black  hackles  and  black  tip. 

No.  6,  The  Parson. — This  is  a  beautiful  and  efficient 
fly ;  the  wings  are  mixed,  and  very  similar  to  those  of 
No.  1,  but  have  a  slight  mixture  of  wood  duck  in  them  ; 
the  body  is  of  very  dark  claret  silk,  with  gold  twist ; 
head,  black  ostrich ;  tail,  golden  pheasant's  top-knot ; 
hackle,  dark  claret ;  legs,  blue,  with  a  tip  of  yellow  and 
gold. 


202 

No.  7,  Strachan. — Mixed  wings,  chiefly  of  golden 
pheasant's  tail ;  yellow  macaw  and  jay's  wings  ;  body  of 
crimson  silk,  with  gold  twist ;  head,  black  ostrich ;  tail 
golden  pheasant ;  black  hackle,  with  jay's  wing  legs  ;  tip, 
yellow  and  gold. 

No.  8,  Langevin. — "Wings,  body,  tail,  hackle,  legs, 
tip,  all  yellow,  made  of  the  dyed  feathers  of  the  white 
goose ;  the  head  of  black  ostrich,  and  the  twist  of  black 
silk. 

No.  9,  Whitcher. — Mixed  wings  of  mallard  and  shell- 
drake,  or  the  tail  of  the  golden  pheasant  may  be  used  ; 
head,  black  ostrich  herl ;  black  hackle  and  black  mohair 
body,  with  a  thin  rib  of  silver ;  tip,  yellow  silk  ;  and  tail 
from  the  top-knot  of  the  golden  pheasant. 

No.  10,  Grey  Fly. — Mixed  wings,  of  mallard,  turkey, 
golden  pheasant's  neck  and  top-knot,  and  sprigs  of  blue 
macaw ;  head  of  black  ostrich  herl ;  legs,  carmine  ;  grey 
hackle ;  body  of  a  grey  mohair,  with  silver  ribs,  and  tip 
of  silver  and  deep  orange  silk,  tail,  mixed  gray  mallard, 
and  tail  of  the  golden  pheasant. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  foregoing  are  not  imita- 
tions of  any  natural  insects,  but  merely  fanciful  combina- 
tions of  beautiful  colors.  The  more  harmonious  the 
tints  the  finer  the  effect.  Some  of  them  are  gaudy  and 
for  the  rivers  of  New  Brunswick  I  would  add  the  follow- 
ing, requesting  the  reader  to  bear  in  mind  that  larger  and 
more  brilliant  flies  are  permitted  among  the  rougher 
waters  and  heavier  fish  of  the  Canadas. 

No  11,  Nicholson. — Wings,  mallard  with  sprigs  of 
blue  macaw ;  body,  blood-red  mohair,  head  of  black  os- 
trich herl ;  hackles,  one  blood-red  and  one  dark  blue 
wound  OQ  together ;  gold  ribs  and  tip,  tail,  mallard  and 
golden  pheasant  neck.  This  is  one  of  the  best  flies  ever 


203 

cast  on  the  Miramichi  and  Nipisiquit,  and  is  simple  and 
inexpensive.  It  is  often  called  u  Blue  and  Brown." 

No.  12,  Chamberlain. — Turkey  wing,  the  lighter  and 
darker  fibres  mixed,  or  turkey  and  mallard  ;  head,  black 
ostrich  herl ;  orange  mohair,  body  and  hackle ;  yellow 
legs  ;  silver  or  gold  ribs  and  tip,  black  silk  twist ;  tail  of 
golden  pheasant  top  knot. 

No.  13,  Darling. — Wings  of  turkey,  and  golden 
pheasant  neck  feather  and  sprigs  of  blue  macaw;  head 
black  ostrich;  hackles  black  along  the  stem,  but  with 
reddish  ends  sometimes  called  "  fiery  brown  ; "  tip  orange 
silk;  tail  golden  pheasant  top  knot;  thin  gold  ribs  and 
tag  and  black  mohair  body. 

No.  14,  Major. — Wings  of  mallard  and  turkey  with 
sprigs  of  blue  macaw ;  head  claret  herl ;  light  red 
hackle,  and  orange  legs ;  body  deep  purple  mohair  ;  tip 
blue  silk ;  tail,  golden  pheasant  neck  feathers,  ribs  and 
tag  gold  tinsel. 

No.  15,  Captain. — Wings  of  turkey  and  golden  pheas- 
ant, tail  and  neck  feathers  and  sprigs  of  blue  macaw  ; 
head,  claret  herl;  red  hackle;  body,  claret  mohair;  tip, 
orange  silk;  silver  tag,  gold  ribs  and  tail  of  golden 
pheasant  top  knot. 

No.  16,  Ceriboo. — Wings  of  turkey  and  mallard  with 
sprigs  of  macaw,  and  a  few  fibres  from  the  golden 
pheasant's  neck,  head  of  black  ostrich  herl ;  claret  legs; 
grey  hackle,  body  of  green  cariboo  hair  or  mohair,  lower 
part  of  tip  golden  yellow  silk,  and  upper  part  black  silk ; 
tail,  golden  pheasant  top-knot,  and  gold  tag.  This  fly, 
with  various  modifications,  is  extensively  used  by  the 
resident  fishermen  of  Frederickton. 

No.  17,  Emmet. — No  head  ;  wings  of  black  and  gold- 
en pheasant  neck  feather  with  sprigs  of  macaw  ;  body, 


204 

black  mohair  ;  black  hackle  ;  gold  tip  and  twist ;  a  turn 
of  black  herl  taken  just  above  the  tail,  which  is  golden 
pheasant  crest. 

J$o.  18,  Lillie — Wings  and  tail  dark  grey  turkey  ; 
body,  mohair  of  the  same  dull  color ;  yellow  silk  tip  ; 
red  hackle  and  no  head. 

We  have  given  more  particular  directions  about  sal- 
mon thai;  trout  flies  because  the  comparative  number  is 
smaller,  and  it  is  more  difficult  for  one  of  our  people  to 
ascertain  correctly  what  flies  he  will  need  in  Canada  and 
the  British  Provinces,  and  if  he  makes  a  mistake  he  can- 
not easily  correct  it  and  may  be  put  to  considerable 
inconvenience  by  finding  himself  in  the  heart  of  the 
wilderness  by  the  side  of  a  salmon  river  and  with  a  book 
full  of  unsuitable  flies.  The  above  are  all,  and  we  might 
say,  more  than  all  that  will  be  needed  on  any  river  on 
the  Atlantic  coast  of  America,  and  they  will  answer  as 
well  on  the  Pacific  coast  rivers  as  any  flies  yet  discovered. 

There  is  one  fact  to  be  borne  in  mind  in  reference  to 
all  flies,  either  for  trout  or  salmon,  and  that  is,  that  fish 
get  accustomed  to  any  kind  of  artificial  lure,  which  must 
be  changed  from  time  to  time.  One  fly,  no  matter  how 
good,  will  lose  its  attraction.  Many  anglers  have  from 
a  season's  good  luck  concluded  that  they  have  at  last 
discovered  the  fly  of  flies  until  the  failures  of  next  year 
convinced  them  that  their  favorite  was  no  better  than 
its  fellows.  Anything  odd,  out  of  the  way  or  unusual 
will  receive  more  or  less  attention,  especially  from  sal- 
mon, when  every  ordinary  fly  has  been  tried  in  vain. 
We  'have  made  a  new  fly,  and  with  the  most  startling 
colors  we  had  at  hand,  every  day  for  weeks  in  mid- 
summer when  salmon  fishing  in  clear  low  water  in  pools 
that  had  been  well  whipped  for  a  couple  of  months,  and 


205 

on  such  occasions  were  sure  to  raise  several  fish  with 
every  new  fly,  that  lost  its  virtues,  however,  before  the 
day  was  out. 

A  simple  arrangement  for  quickly  changing  the  color 
of  a  fly,  especially  with  trout  flies,  which  have  not  such 
brilliantly  colored  wings  as  salmon  flies,  is  to  carry  in  the 
fly  book  cards  with  various  colored  silks  wound  upon  them. 
There  will  be  no  difficulty  in  having  as  many  as  thirty 
varieties  of  shade  because  only  a  little  is  needed  of  each 
and  they  may  be  placed  side  by  side  so  that  any  hue  may 
be  selected  at  once.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  open  the  first 
trout  taken  and  find  out  from  the  contents  of  his  stomach 
the  precise  fly  on  which  he  is  feeding.  Then  if  the 
angler  is  without  that  kind  he  can  make  a  tolerable 
substitute  by  winding  the  proper  shade  of  silk  over 
the  body  of  any  fly  that  he  has,  selecting  suitable  size 
and  wings  as  far  as  he  can.  It  is  the  color  of  the  body 
that  mainly  distinguishes  trout  flies  and  the  wings  are  of 
less  importance,  being  in  nature  little  more  than  a  dusky 
membrane. 

REELS. — There  is  probably  no  better  reel  than  the 
ordinary  click  reel.  It  should  have  the  handle  set  in  the 
plate  and  not  on  an  arm  around  which  the  line  will  be 
forever  catching.  For  salmon  fishing  of  course,  the  reel 
must  be  larger  and  stronger  than  tor  trout.  The  advan- 
tage about  the  ordinary  brass  reel  is,  that  it  will  not  break 
if  it  falls  even  on  rocks,  a  misfortune  that  is  peculiarity 
liable  to  happen  in  salmon  fishing,  in  which  the  fish  have 
often  to  be  followed  along  a  dangerous  and  difficult  shore. 
It  may  get  bent,  but  it  can  still  be  used.  The  objections 
to  it  are,  that  it  keeps  the  line  shut  in  between  two  plates, 
so  that  it  will  not  dry  readily  and  may  rot,  and  that  it 
does  not  take  in  the  line  rapidly.  An  open  reel  with  a 
large  barrel,  and  made  of  gutta  percha  has  come  into 


206 

vogue  lately.  It  will  wind  in  the  line  far  more  quickly 
than  the  ordinary  click  reel,  and  when  wound  in,  leaves 
it  in  such  a  position  that  it  will  dry,  hut  if  this  reel  strikes 
any  hard  substance  heavily,  it  will  fly  to  pieces,  being  as 
brittle  as  an  ordinary  gutta  percha  comb,  and  it  does  not 
yield  the  line  nicely  to  the  hand  when  the  angler  is 
lengthening  his  casts,  the  line  binding  on  the  narrow  slit 
through  which  it  runs.  This  reel  may  be  made  with  a 
click  or  a  friction  screw,  and  should  be  sold  very  cheaply. 
We  have  used  it  for  years  in  trout  fishing,  and  cannot 
say  that  we  give  the  old  brass  click  reel  any  preference 
over  it,  and  it  certainly  enables  us  to  command  the  line 
more  quickly  when  we  have  hooked  a  fish.  We  have  not, 
however,  as  yet,  slammed  it  against  a  rock,  an  experience 
that  is  reserved  for  the  first  time  we  lose  our  footing  on 
the  slimy,  treacherous  bottom  of  the  trout  brook  we  may 
be  wading. 

CASTING  THE  FLY. — We  can  think  of  no  way  of  giving 
oral  or  written  instruction  in  fly  fishing.  The  purpose  is 
to  get  the  line  out  straight,  clear  and  lightly  as  far  as 
possible,  and  skill  in  doing  so  is  only  to  be  acquired  with 
practice.  Something  can  be  learned  by  watching  a  better 
angler  than  yourself  standing  and  casting  by  your  side. 
The  motion  is  a  peculiar  one,  and  the  best  advice  we  can 
give  the  reader  about  it  is,  to  tell  him  to  send  his  line 
out  with  a  jerk.  This  is  contrary  to  every  opinion  and 
direction  contained  in  the  books,  and  will  at  first,  lead  to 
the  snapping  off  of  many  a  fly,  but  it  is  the  only  way  of 
casting  the  line  as  it  should  be  cast.  Every  other  plan 
will  work  after  a  fashion  if  there  is  a  breeze  to  favor  and 
help,  but  on  calm  water  and  with  no  wind,  it  is  only  the 
man  that  can  twitch  out  his  line  that  can  get  it  out  at  all. 
We  should  say  lift  it  with  a  jerk,  swing  it  to  the  full 
length  behind  you;  upon  doing  this  thoroughly,  depends 


207 

the  question  whether  your  fly  will  stay  on  the  line  or  not, 
and  then  send  it  forward  with  a  quick  motion  that  winds 
up  with  a  jerk  of  the  wrist.  This  jerk  communicates  its- 
self  to  the  tip,  and  gives  that  peculiar  springy  motion 
that  will  be  noticed  with  all  first-class  fly  fishermen. 
Never  try  to  help  your  rod  by  a  long,  slow  awkward 
sweep  of  the  arm.  It  won't  answer — the  wrist  must  do 
the  work.  Do  not  let  your  rod  go  too  far  back,  it  should 
never  reach  more  than  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees. 
And  now,  reader,  if  these  directions  don't  suit  you, 
you  need  not  follow  them,  they  are  poor  enough 
at  best,  and  you  may  work  out  your  own  fishing  salvation 
in  your  own  way.  If  they  do,  and  you  will  courageously 
snap  off  about  fifty  flies,  we  think  at  the  end  of  that  time 
you  can  probably  cast  a  line  fifty  feet  long,  and  drop  your 
tail  fly  in  a  lily  pad  three  times  in  five  casts,  in  which 
case  you  can  begin  to  take  trout. 

Fish  have  sharp  *eyes,  and  in  trying  to  allure  them  to 
their  death  we  must  do  our  best  to  keep  out  of  their  sight. 
They  know  a  man  as  their  natural  enemy  by  instinct.  In 
approaching  a  stream,  get  behind  a  bush,  or  stump,  or 
rock.  We  have  before  now  crawled  on  our  knees  within 
reach  of  a  hole  in  which  we  knew  that  a  peculiarly  large 
and  desirable  trout  had  taken  up  his  abode.  In  fishing 
from  a  boat,  always  sit  down  and  have  the  seats  arrang- 
ed to  face  towards  the  stern.  Omit  no  precautions  that 
will  tend  to  lull  the  suspicions  of  the  trout,  which  years 
of  persecution  have  rendered  most  acute.  Never  pound 
on  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  or  jar  the  bank  of  the  creek. 
Talking  will  do  no  harm,  but  rattling  oars  or  jumping 
,from  one  log  to  another,  or  splashing  in  the  water,  or  even 
treading  heavily  on  the  ground  will  alarm  the  fish  and 
often  make  them  dart  about  in  terror.  When  once 
alarmed,  trout  will  never  bite.  It  is  worse  than  useless 


208 

to  show  them  bait  or  fly,  and  only  teaches  them  to  con- 
nect in  their  minds  the  noise  and  the  fishing. 

OTHER  METHODS  OF  FISHING. — As  salmon  and  trout 
are  only  taken  for  sport,  they  should  never  be  caught 
with  anything  but  the  fly,  which  is  the  highest  develop- 
ment of  sport  in  fishing.  Salmon  are  never  fished  for  in 
any  other  way,  but  it  will  occasionally  happen  that  a 
trout  stream  is  so  overgrown  with  trees  and  bushes,  that 
the  use  of  the  fly  is  an  impossibility.  In  such  cases  a 
person  is  perfectly  justified  in  having  resort  to  a  worm. 
For  this  kind  of  work,  especially  in  the  small  brooks 
which  are  so  common  in  our  country,  and  which  flow 
down  some  mountain  side  through  dense  and  unbroken 
woods,  the  best  rod  is  a  pole  cut  from  the  forest,  as  it  can 
be  taken  by  the  smaller  end  and  dragged  along,  when 
more  delicate  tackle  would  give  trouble.  The  best  line 
is  a  gut  leader,  which  is  tied  to  the  end  of  the  pole,  and 
may  be  shortened  by  turning  the  latter  in  the  hands  and 
winding  it  up.  For  larger  streams,  where  a  reel  can  be 
used,  a  short  rod  with  a  small  float  are  the  proper  imple- 
ments. Pay  out  as  much  line,  and  keep  the  float  as  tar 
ahead  as  possible ;  have  a  leader  of  two  or  three  feet  in 
length,  and  no  sinker.  In  streams  connected  with  salt 
water  and  in  ponds,  minnows  are  better  bait  than  worms. 
Minnows  and  worms  can  both  be  cast  and  played  some- 
what like  the  fly,  and  often  with  deadly  effect. 

Trolling  spoons  are  fatal  with  the  larger  sea  trout  of 
Canada,  and  may  either  be  drawn  along  after  the  boat 
while  it  is  being  rowed,  or  if  small  enough,  they  may  be 
cast  like  the  fly.  It  is  rather  a  coarse  method  of  fishing, 
and  if  a  fish  is  once  hooked  he  can  never  escape,  exceptv 
by  breaking  the  line,  as  the  hooks  of  the  spoon  will  be 
imbedded  in  his  jaws  so  that  they  are  difficult  of  extrac- 
tion after  he  is  landed.  Such  devices  are  more  appro- 


209 

priate  to  fishing  for  pickerel  or  mascallonge,  than  for  so 
delicate  and  beautiful  a  fish  as  the  trout.  Artificial  min- 
nows, artificial  grasshoppers,  and  the  like,  are  riot  suc- 
cessful enough  to  justify  their  use. 

SALMON-TROUT. — As  the  fishing  for  salmon-trout  is 
altogether  different  from  that  for  salmon  or  trout,  we  will 
give  separate  directions  in  reference  to  it.  These  fish  are 
known  under  several  names,  both  scientific  and  popular; 
but  it  is  questionable  whether  there  are  more  than  two 
species.  In  different  waters  they  have  a  distinct  appear- 
ance and  differ  greatly  in  size,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether 
the  changes  are  more  than  the  mere  effect  of  local  causes. 
They  are  fond  of  large  sheets  of  water,  the  smallest  of 
which,  and  where  they  attain  the  least  growth,  deserving 
the  name  of  lakes.  In  such  inland  seas  as  Lake  Superior, 
they  will  occasionally  reach  a  weight  of  one  hundred 
pounds,  while  in  other  places  they  will  not  average  over 
two  or  three.  They  are  common  in  most  of  the  north- 
ern and  north-western  ponds  and  lakes,  and  are  a  favorite 
food  fish  with  many.  They  are  taken  with  silver  and 
brass  spoon  hooks,  by  loading  the  line  so  that  the  spoon 
runs  near  the  bottom.  But  they  are  taken  sometimes  at 
the  top  of  the  water,  and  sometimes  half-way  down,  and 
at  the  bottom,  by  trolling  with  three  lines  at  one  time 
— one  at  the  surface,  one  half-way  down,  and  one  near 
the  bottom.  Another  way  is  to  anchor  a  buoy  out  in 
deep  water  and  cut  fish  in  pieces,  varying  in  size  from  a 
hickorynut  to  a  butternut,  and  scatter  the  pieces 
around  the  buoy  for  some  days ;  then  anchor  your  boat  to 
the  buoy,  using  a  piece  ot  the  same  kind  of  bait  on  your 
hook  that  you  had  been  in  the  habit  of  scattering  around 
your  buoy  ;  fish  near  the  bottom,  and  give  it  a  little  mo- 
tion by  giving  your  line  short  jerks.  The  buoy  should 
not  be  baited  the  day  you  go  fishing. 


210 

"\^ 

Another^way  is  to  have  a  rod  and  reel  and  four  or  five 
hundred  feet  of  fine,  strong  line,  and  if  the  water  is  deep 
put  a  lead  sinker  weighing  three  quarters  of  a  pound  on 
the  end  of  your  line,  and  tie  a  single  gut  leader  twelve 
feet  long,  on  the  main  line  twelve  feet  above  your  sinker. 
For  hooks,  you  should  use  nine  number  six  Limerick  hooks, 
tied  three  together,  back  to  back,  so  that  they  look  like 
a  three-pronged  grappel.  Tie  them  on  a  single  gut  lead- 
er about  two  and  one-half  inches  apart,  and  you  have  a 
gang  of  hooks  five  inches  long.  Put  two  very  small 
brass  swivels  on  your  leader.  Use  the  kind  of  small  fish 
for  bait  that  the  trout  are  used  to  eating  in  your  lake. 
Hook  one  of  the  upper  hooks  through  the  under  and  up- 
per jaw  so  that  his  mouth  will  be  closed ;  then  hook  one 
of  the  lower  hooks  through  the  back  near  the  tail,  in  such 
a  manner  that  it  will  give  the  fish  a  curve  and  will  turn 
around  like  a  trolling-spoon  when  it 'is  drawn  through 
the  water.  The  most  successful  fishermen  use  three  of 
these  kind  of  rigs  in  one  boat ;  they  fish  one  rig  near  the 
top  with  a  light  sinker,  say  four  ounces,  and  one  about 
half-way  down  with  an  eight  ounce  sinker,  and  the  twelve 
ounce  sinker  near  the  bottom.  The  boat  should  be  rowed 
very  slowly,  so  that  you  can  feel  the  bottom  with  the 
heavy  sinker  nearly  every  time  you  raise  it  up  and  let  it 
down.  The  bait  should  be  raised  up  and  down  by  a  gen- 
tle motion ;  set  the  other  two  lines,  one  on  each  side  of 
the  boat,  and  they  will  take  care  of  themselves.  Live 
fish  should  be  used  for  bait.  Some  do  not  use  but  eight 
hooks,  one  hook  for  the  upper  to  hook  in  the  minnow's 
mouth,  and  one  to  hook  in  the  back  near  the  tail,  and 
two  sets  of  three  each  between  the  two  single  hooks  tied 
about  one  and-a-half  inches  apart.  Be  careful  and  keep 
your  minnow  looking  as  natural  as  possible.  Do  not  rub 
any  more  scales  off  than  you  can  help.  When  you  let 


211 

your  line  out  your  boat  should  be  in  motion  to  keep  your 
bait  from  twisting  around  the  main  line. 

There  is  opportunity  for  fine  fishing  in  Lake  Huron, 
which  will  be  utilized  one  of  these  days  when  yachting 
shall  have  been  developed  in  our  grand  inland  lakes,  as 
it  will  be  in  time.  Trolling  for  salmon -trout  can  be  done 
very  successfully  with  sailing  craft,  all  the  way  from 
Saginaw  Bay  to  Mackinaw,  and  about  five  or  ten  miles 
from  shore.  The  ordinary  trolling  tackle  is  to  be  used, 
much  in  the  same  way  that  it  is  used  on  the  sea  coast  for 
blue  fish,  but  the  fish  taken  will  occasionally  exceed 
twenty  pounds  in  weight,  and  will  test  the  angler's  tackle 
and  muscles. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

FISHING    FOR    BASS    AND    OTHER    FISH. 

BLACK  BASS. — These  fish  are  taken  with  the  fly  either 
cast  as  in  trout  fishing  or  trolled  behind  a  boat  and  with 
spinning  tackle.  They  are  also  caught  with  bait  and 
show  a  preference  for  fresh  water  helgramite  and  crawfish 
and,  for  small  living  roach,  dace  and  yellow  perch. 
They  are  a  voracious  and  predacious  fish  and  will  destroy 
any  other  kind  that  occupies  any  small  waters  with 
them,  even  the  pickerel  standing  no  chance  against 
them.  They  are  courageous  as  well,  and  never  give  up 
their  lives  till  after  they  have  made  a  good  fight.  As 
soon  as  they  are  hooked  they  throw  themselves  out  of 
the  water  with  a  rush  and  endeavor  to  smash  the  line, 
and  shake  their  heads  fiercely  in  their  attempts  to  dis- 
lodge the  hook.  When  they  jump  out  of  the  water  it  is 
well  to  drop  the  tip,  as,  if  they  succeed  in  flinging  their 
broad  sides  on  the  line,  they  are  apt  either  to  snap  it  or 


tear  out  the  hook.  They  must  be  handled  carefully  and 
cannot  be  landed  immediately,  and  if  they  are  of  any 
considerable  size  will  demand  skillful  play.  They  attain 
a  weight  of  six  to  eight  pounds,  but  the  average  is  far 
less,  hardly  exceeding  two.  They  are  thoroughly  a 
game  fish  and  should  be  introduced  into  all  waters 
adapted  for  them  which  are  occupied  by  inferior  fish. 

There  is  scarcely  any  prettier  sport  than  taking  black 
bass  by  casting  the  fly.  Trolling  is  far  inferior  in  the 
enjoyment  it  gives  the  true  angler,  being  a  coarser  and 
less  artistic  style  of  fishing.  For  very  large  fish  the 
leader  may  be  of  salmon  gut,  but  for  ordinary  fish,  trout 
tackle  will  do.  In  trolling  a  number  of  flies  of  light 
colors,  especially  scarlet  and  white,  are  tied  on  the  lead- 
er at  short  intervals  with  often  a  small  trolling  spoon  for 
a  stretcher.  It  should  have  a  swivel  at  the  top  and  a 
couple  of  shot  lower  down.  This  is  trailed  behind  at 
some  distance  from  the  boat  which  is  rowed  rather  slowly 
over  the  reefs  and  other  places  where  the  bass  congre- 
gate. In  the  St  Lawrence  river  among  the  Thousand 
Isles  where  a  school  of  these  fish  is  struck  every  fly  will 
hook  a  fish  and  the  fortunate  spot  may  be  crossed  again 
and  again  with  the  same  result.  This  is  a  good  deal 
like  pot  fishing  however,  and  the  landing  of  so  many  fish 
at  one  time  is  annoying  rather  than  pleasurable.  As 
they  fight  against  one  another,  success  in  getting  them 
into  the  net  is  a  question  rather  of  strength  of  tackle 
than  of  skill  in  the  fisherman. 

In  casting  this  is  wholly  different  and  everything  de- 
pends on  ability  to  use  the  rod  and  to  manage  the  game. 
The  flies  are  larger  ordinarily  than  those  for  trout  being 
about  the  size  of  such  as  are  used  in  Maine  or  on  Lake 
Superior,  and  are  gaudy  although  on  light  days  sombre 
colors  are  often  the  most  successful.  Otherwise  there  is 


213 

no  essential  difference  Between  fly  fishing  for  black  bass 
and  for  trout,  except  that  it  is  well  to  fish  a  little  more 
slowly.  The  rod  is  the  same,  the  line  the  same,  and 
there  is  the  same  necessity  for  dexterity  in  controlling 
the  fly  and  the  line.  Black  bass  are  not  so  beautiful  nor 
delicate  a  fish,  but  they  are  more  fierce  and  fully  as 
courageous.  They  are  rarely  brought  to  the  net  till 
after  they  have  leaped  a  half  dozen  times  from  the 
water,  sometimes  as  high  as  three  feet  from  its  surface. 
The  thrill  of  dread  which  this  manoeuvre  on  their  part 
arouses  in  the  mind  of  the  fisherman  is  never  staled  by 
repetition  and  there  is  no  assurance  of  safety  till  the  bass 
is  fairly  landed. 

OSWEGO  BASS. — These  fish  resemble  the  black  bass 
so  closely  that  they  are  often  confounded  with  them,  but 
they  are  quite  inferior.  They  inhabit  a  lower  class  of 
waters,  prefering  ponds  and  streams  with  sluggish 
currents  and  muddy  bottoms.  They  rarely  rise  to 
the  fly  but  will  take  the  trolling  spoon  voraciously. 
When  hooked,  however,  they  make  no  play  but  after 
one  or  two  feeble  rushes  come  in  like  a  "wet  rag." 
Neither  are  they  so  good  a  table  fish  as  the  black  bass. 
They  inhabit  most  of  the  southern  waters  of  our  country 
being  found  in  vast  numbers  in  the  coast  lagoons  of  the 
southern  states,  in  water  that  is  often  quite  blackish 
from  the  inroads  of  the  sea  during  high  tides.  They 
grow  to  weigh  fifteen  pounds  quite  frequently  and  some- 
times are  said  to  exceed  that  by  as  much  as  five  more. 
In  the  northern  states  they  rarely  exceed  five  or  six 
pounds. 

MA.SCALLONGE. — This  fish,  which  is  the  king  of  the 
pickerel  tribe,  grows  to  a  great  size  and  gives  good  sport. 
He  is  strong  and  willful,  and  is  much  better  on  the  table 
than  his  smaller  kinsmen.  He  is  taken  by  trolling  with 


214 

a  row-boat  and  what  is  known  as  the  trolling  spoon, — a 
piece  of  tin  wheeling  around  a  pair  of  hooks. 
Sometimes  feathers  are  tied  around  the  shank  of  the 
hooks,  and  while  the  outside  or  face  of  the  tin  has  its 
natural  shining  color,  the  back  is  sometimes  made  red, 
sometimes  black  or  copper  colored,  and  po  forth.  "We 
prefer  the  trolling  spoon  without  feathers  for  mascallonge, 
but  we  often  use  a  double  gang  of  hooks  and  put  a  piece 
of  the  throat  of  the  fish  on  the  lower  pair.  Then  if  the 
fish  strikes  and  does  not  hook  himself,  he  gets  a  taste  of 
food  and  will  often  come  again.  In  case  minnow  is  used 
either  for  mascallonge  or  pickerel,  it  is  fastened  on  a  gang 
of  small  hooks  that  are  thrust  into  its  back  and  sides  so 
as  to  bend  it  in  order  that  it  may  turn  round  and  round 
in  the  water, — "  spin  well"  as  it  is  technically  termed. 

PICKEREL  AND  YELLOW  PERCH. — The  most  artistic 
way  of  taking  pickerel  in  summer  is  with  the  spear,  but 
they  are  generally  taken  with  a  spoon  and  line  bait. 
They  furnish  poor  food  and  worse  sport,  as  a  general 
thing,  and  are  not  entitled  to  any  law.  They  are  better 
to  use  as  food  for  black  bass  than  for  man.  During  win- 
ter they  and  perch  are  caught  through  the  ice  in  a  way 
to  furnish  a  good  deal  of  amusement.  A  number  of 
holes  are  cut  through  the  ice  some  distance  apart,  and 
two  sticks  tacked  together  in  the  shape  of  a  cross  are  laid 
across  each  hole.  The  longest  part  of  the  cross  reaches 
over  to  the  ice  on  both  sides,  but  the  other  piece  is  too 
short  to  strike  the  edges.  To  one  end  of  the  latter  the 
line  is  made  fast,  and  as  soon  as  a  fish  bites  his  jerk  raises 
the  other  end,  which  can  be  seen  at  some  distance,  and 
may  be  decorated  with  a  tiny  flag.  The  fisherman  is 
kept  running  from  one  to  another,  and  as  he  has  from 
twenty-five  to  fifty  lines  fishing  all  the  while,  he  is  busy 
if  fish  are  at  all  plentiful.  A  similar  method  of  fishing 


215 

may  be  followed  in  summer  by  having  a  flat  float  of  a 
piece  of  ordinary  board  with  a  stick  run  up  and  down 
through  the  center  and  weighted  at  the  bottom.  The 
line  is  fastened  to  the  upper  end,  that  half  being  painted 
white,  and  a  bite  reverses  the  position  and  shows  the 
lower  half,  which  is  painted  red.  As  pickerel  do  not 
always  pouch  the  bait  when  they  first  strike  it,  the  line 
may  be  coiled  on  the  float  and  slightly  hitched  in  a  notch 
so  that  it  will  run  off  at  first  and  give  the  pickerel  a 
chance  to  move  to  a  quiet  spot  for  his  deliberate  meal.  For 
this  fishing,  live  bait  is  needed,  minnows  being  the  best, 
and  should  be  fastened  by  running  the  hook  just  under 
the  skin  near  the  back  fin,  so  as  not  to  injure  them.  If 
the  line  is  tied  to  the  leg  of  a  tame  goose,  there  will  be 
seen  considerable  excitement  when  this  new  sort  of  angler 
strikes  a  large  fish.  Pickerel  are  also  taken  in  small 
ponds,  where  they  love  to  lie  around  the  water  lilies  and 
long  grass,  by  fishing  for  them  with  a  long  rod  and 
small  fish.  The  bait  is  tossed  here  and  there  into  the 
openings  among  the  weeds,  is  twitched  up  and  down  in 
a  way  to  somewhat  similate  the  action  of  a  living  fish. 
When  a  fish  bites  he  is  unceremoniously  hauled  out. 

SHAD  FLY-FISHING. — Shad  can  be  taken  with  the  fly, 
but  only  where  they  are  collected  together  in  consider- 
able quantities,  or  over  a  reef,  or  where  they  are  obstruct- 
ed by  a  dam  or  falls.  The  same  rule  obtains  with  salmon, 
which  never  rise  to  the  fly  in  smooth,  still  water,  and 
are  caught  most  freely  where  the  fresh  stream  falls  di- 
rectly by  rapids  or  cataract  into  the  brackish  or  salt  tide- 
way. If  the  lower  part  of  the  river  is  unbroken,  the 
salmon  run  directly  up  and  are  never  taken  by  fly  fishing, 
and  if  they  have  to  ascend  a  long  distance  to  the  first 
rough  water,  they  do  not  rise  so  well.  It  is  possible  that 
the  failure  of  salmon  to  take  the  fly  in  the  Columbia  and 


216 

other  streams  of  Oregon  and  California,  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  falls  are  so  far  from  the  ocean,  and  they  might 
possibly  be  made  to  rise  by  an  artificial  obstruction. 

The  ordinary  fly  used  in  fishing  for  shad  is  one  that  is 
a  dull  yellow  throughout,  the  color  of  the  sandhoppers 
that  are  found  on  the  sandy  shores  of  salt  water.  It  is 
trolled  more  generally  than  cast,  and  has  been  used  suc- 
cessfully in  the  Connecticut  and  Hudson  rivers.  The 
sport,  "however,  is  not  such  as  to  attract  the  thorough 
fisherman,  and  has  been  pursued  rather  from  curiosity 
than  for  amusement.  Shad  have  been  taken  in  fresh 
water  with  the  minnow. 

STRIPED  BASS. — The  fishing  for  striped  bass  is  al- 
together different  from  anything  that  has  heretofore  been 
described.  It  requires  a  different  rod,  reel,  line  and  bait. 
It  is  true  that  at  certain  places  bass  may  be  taken  with 
a  large  coarse  fly  either  cast  or  used  in  trolling,  but 
these  spots  are  so  rare  that  but  few  anglers  have  ever 
enjoyed  the  sport  of  fly  fishing  for  striped  bass.  The 
best  place  for  this  is  at  the  Little  Falls  of  the  Potomac, 
and  the  sportsmen  of  Washington  are  favored  in  having 
the  privilege.  But  in  general  the  fishing  for  striped  bass 
is  done  with  bait  and  a  rod  that  is  short,  strong  but 
springy,  not  over  nine  feet  in  length  but  very  stiff  by 
comparison  with  any  thing  used  for  salmon  or  trout.  The 
finest  rods  are  made  with  the  second  joint  and  tip — there 
are  only  three  joints — of  bamboo,  and  the  butt  of  some 
heavier  wood.  A  single  piece  of  Japanese  bamboo 
makes  an  excellent  rod  and  may  be  had  at  a  cheap  price 
but  it  is  awkward  to  carry.  The  guides  which  are  used 
in  place  of  rings,  and  tip  point  or  "funnel  top,"  should 
be  lined  with  agate  in  order  that  the  line  may  run  through 
them  with  the  utmost  freedom,  this  being  the  great 
desideratum  in  the  more  difficult  kinds  of  bass  fishing. 


217 

More  important  even  than  the  rod  is  the  reel.  This  m ust 
be  made  with  the  delicacy  of  the  finest  clock  work.  It  is  a 
multiplier  and  should  either  run  on  agates  or  steel  pins, 
the  latter  is  not  so  easily  broken  as  the  former  and 
renders  as  well  if  it  is  kept  well  oiled.  The  cog  wheels 
must  be  as  perfect  as  they  can  be  and  run  with  absolute 
accuracy  and  noiselessness.  The  least  jar  or  chatter 
renders  the  whole  thing  utterly  useless.  The  handle  is 
balanced  and  the  main  barrel  is  large  and  able  to  hold 
three  hundred  yards  of  line.  When  a  good  reel  has  once 
been  selected  it  needs  and  deserves  the  best  of  care ;  it 
should  be  kept  in  a  leather  case,  and  if  it  is  unused  for 
some  time  should  be  oiled  occasionally.  Before  it  is  used 
and  when  it  is  about  being  put  away  it  should  be  taken 
apart,  wiped  dry  and  oiled,  and  all  rust  must  be  thor- 
oughly removed. 

LINES  AND  LEADERS. — The  best  lines  are  of  grass 
or  raw  silk,  but  they  are  expensive,  rot  easily,  require 
the  utmost  care,  and  will  whip  out  against  the  bars  of  the 
reel.  Silk  lines  are  apt  to  stick  and  will  not  deliver 
rapidly,  and  custom  has  fallen  upon  those  of  flax.  These 
are  poor  affairs  at  best ;  they  swell  when  wet  and  rot  unless 
they  are  dried  after  every  wetting,  but  they  are  the 
most  practical  taken  all  in  all,  that  the  tackle  makers 
have  yet  given  us.  From  twelve  to  fifteen  threads  are 
the  sizes  generally  used,  although  some  persons  prefer 
those  of  eighteen.  Of  course  the  finer  the  line  the  soon- 
er it  looses  its  strength,  and  deteriorates  under  exposure. 
No  bass  fisherman  can  do  himself  justice  with  any  line 
but  one  of  raw  silk,  and  the  question  only  is  whether  he 
can  afford — taking  into  consideration  his  purse  and  the 
amount  of  fishing  he  may  do— to  buy  the  best  or  wheth- 
er he  must  content  himself  with  inferior  tackle  at  a 

moderate  price.     Even  a  poor  fisherman  can  make  a  fair 
10 


218 

show  with  a  grass  line,  while  a  good  one  will  often  have 
his  patience  tried  with  a  line  of  flax. 

These  costty  and  delicate  implements  are  only  needed 
for  the  higher  kinds  of  bass  fishing  and  for  the  largest 
sized  fish.  For  smaller  fish  and  smaller  sport,  lighter 
tackle  will  answer,  but  when  the  fish  has  the  entire  At- 
lantic ocean  to  escape  into,  and  the  angler  expects,  prays 
and  hopes  for  a  victim  to  his  skill  of  fifty  pounds  weight 
it  is  unwise  to  use  any  but  the  best  and  strongest  tackle. 
In  the  innumerable  salt  water  creeks,  coves  and  bays 
where  fish  of  irom  three  to  five  pounds  are  taken,  a  plain 
rod  with  a  float  and  sinker  and  double  snell  of  hooks  on 
gut  leaders  is  all  that  is  necessary.  More  will  be  said 
on  this  subject  hereafter. 

The   grandest  and  most  skilful  method  of  taking  the 
striped  beauties  of  the  northern  coasts,  is  with  the  men- 
haden bait,  cast  into  the  boiling  surf  of  the  ocean,  or  the 
larger  bays,  and  this  sport  is  universally  enjoyed  along 
the  rock  bound  coast  of  New  England,  from  New  Lon- 
don to  Eastport.     This  entire  beach  is  one  mass  of  rock 
indented  by  innumerable  bays  or  severed  by   inlets  into 
barren  islands,  where  the  tide  rushes  and  the  surf  beats, 
and  in  every  favorable  locality  are  the  bass  taken  with  a 
stout  rod,  a  long  line  and  menhaden  bait.     From  almost 
every  bold  rock,  or  prominent  island  can  the  angler  cast 
into  the  vexed  water  of  some  current  made  by  the  waves 
rushing  over  the  uneven  bottom,  and  allure  thence  the 
bass,  who  has  been  attracted  from  the  ocean  depths  to 
feed  on  the  small  fry  that  hide  in  the  clefts  and  crevices, 
and  waiting  with  fins  often  visible   above  the    tide  to 
pounce  upon  his  prey,  mistakes  for  it  the  angler's  bait, 
and  after  a  brave  struggle  surrenders  to  human  ingenuity. 
Fishermen  of  long  practice  and  great  skill  claim  that 
they  can  cast  the  ordinary  menhaden  bait  one  hundred 


219 

and  twenty  yards.  Although  from  a  high  stand  with 
the  aid  of  a  strong  wind  this  is  possible,  the  ordinary 
cast  is  not  over  half  that  distance,  amd  to  exceed  one 
hundred  when  standing  on  a  level  with  the  water  is  rare. 
Seventy  five  yards  is  a  good  cast,  and  no  man  need  be 
ashamed  who  can  put  out  his  line  fair  and  true  that  dis- 
tance. The  length  of  cast  is  in  a  measure  controlled  by 
the  direction  and  violence  of  the  wind  and  the  elevation 
of  the  stand  above  the  water.  In  a  contrary  wind  the 
best  angler  will  find  it  difficult  to  reach  seventy-five 
yards,  while  from  a  high  rock  with  a  favorable  wind  he 
will  cover  that  distance  with  ease. 

Casting  the  menhaden  bait  is  similar  to  casting  the 
float  and  sinker,  only  the  power  applied  is  enormously 
increased,  and  difficulties  aie  proportionally  magnified. 
The  line  is  wound  up  till  the  bait,  if  a  single  one,  is 
almost  two  feet  from  the  tip,  the  rod  is  extended  behind 
the  fisherman,  who  turns  his  body  for  the  purpose,  and 
then  brought  forward  with  a  steady  but  vigorous  swing 
that  discharges  it  without  a  jerk,  like  an  apple  thrown 
from  a  stick.     The  reel  is  so  far  restrained  by  pressure  of 
the  thumb,  that  it  revolves  no  faster  than  the  bait  travels, 
but  does  not   detain  it,  and  upon  the  accuracy  of  this 
manipulation  mainly  depends  the  result.     If  too  much 
pressure  is  used,  the  line  cannot  escape  rapidly  enough 
and  falls  short;  if  too  little,  the  reel  overruns  and  en- 
tangles the  line,  stopping  the  cast  ere  half  delivered  with 
a  jerk   that   threatens  its  destruction.     The    fisherman 
must  be  able  to  use  either  hand  on  the  reel  to  rest  his 
arms  and  to  take  advantage  of  the  wind. 

Neither  shrimp  nor  soft  crabs  are  used  in  this  style  of 
fishing,  and  the  eel  skin  which  is  used  earlier  in  the 
season,  is  prepared  by  stripping  the  skin  off  the  tail  of  an 
eel  from  the  vent  aft  for  about  a  foot,  turn  it  inside 


220 

out,  and  drawing  it  over  a  couple  of  hooks  so  placed  on 
the  line  that  one  shall  project,  near  the  upper  and  the 
other  near  the  tail  end.  A  sinker  of  the  size  ot  one's 
little  finger  is  inserted  at  the  head,  and  this  bait  is  cast 
by  hand,  as  it  has  to  be  drawn  rapidly.  The  rod  is  not 
often  used  in  this  style  of  fishing,  as  the  heavy  bait  is  apt 
to  sink  ere  it  can  be  reeled  in.  The  skin  is  frequently 
salted  to  increase  its  firmness,  and  when  used,  must  be 
kept  in  "continual  motion. 

The  menhaden  bait  is  prepared  by  scaling  it  and  then 
cutting  a  slice  on  one  side  from  near  the  head  to  the  base 
of  the  tail,  passing  the  hook  through  from  the  scaly  side, 
and  back  through  both  edges,  so  that  the  shank  is  en- 
veloped and  the  flesh  is  outwards,  and  then  tying  the  bait 
firmly  with  a  small  piece  of  twine  that  is  attached  to  the 
hook  for  that  purpose.  A  menhaden  or  bony  fish  fur- 
nishes two  baits  and  the  residue,  except  the  back  bone, 
tail,  and  head,  is  cut  up  fine,  called  chum,  and  thrown 
into  the  water  to  make  a  slick.  A  slick  is  the  oil  of  the 
menhaden  floating  over'the  waves,  and  being  carried  by 
the  tide  or  current  a  long  distance,  attracts  the  bass. 

Where  the  water  is  clear,  it  is  customary  in  rod-fish- 
ing, to  use  two  hooks ;  the  smaller  some  two  feet  below 
the  other  is  attached  to  a  fine  line  or  gut  leader,  which 
latter  we  decidedly  recommend,  and  denominated  with- 
out any  apparent  reason  the  "  fly  hook."  Many  of  the  best 
fishermen  never  use  more  than  one  bait,  and  when  the 
fish  are  large  and  plenty,  one  is  sufficient.  The  fly  bait 
is  not  generally  tied  on,  but  twisted  round  the  hook  in  a 
manner  difficult  to  describe. 

Lobster  which  is  also  used  as  a  bait  in  this  style  of  fish- 
ing is  deficient  in  tenacity,  and  has  to  be  tied  on  like 
menhaden,  and  probably  the  natural  squid  would  be  an 
effective  and  manageable  bait,  could  it  be  provided  in 


221 

sufficient  quanities.  Hooks  are  manufactured  expressly 
for  this  fishing  with  a  round  head,  they  are  fastened  to 
the  line  with  two  half  hitches,  the  end  again  hitched 
above  so  as  to  take  the  friction;  and  as  they  are  carried  off 
by  the  first  big  blue  fish  or  in  the  Yankee  vernacular 
horse-mackerel,  that  takes  a  fancy  to  the  bait  the  angler 
must  be  well  supplied. 

The  friction  is  so  great  in  casting,  that  the  thumb  must 
be  protected  by  a  thumb  stall  or  "  cot,"  as  fishermen  call  it, 
or  better  yet,  one  for  each  thumb,  so  that  you  can  cast 
from  either  side,  and  snub  the  fish  with  either  hand. 
They  are  made  of  chamois,  leather,  india  rubber,  or  some 
equivalent  material,  arid  in  casting  by  hand,  a  similar 
protection  is  required  for  the  forefinger.  A  shoemaker's 
knife  is  admirably  adapted  to  cutting  bait,  and  the  best  tool 
is  desirable,  as  cutting  up  menhaden  bait  is  about  as  dirty, 
disagreeable  and  tedious  an  operation  as  can  be  imagined. 
The  angler  should  always  have  an  assistant  for  the  pur- 
pose, or  he  will  get  his  hands,  his  rod,  and  his  clothes  in  a 
condition  of  oil,  blood  and  fish  scales,  that  no  cleaning 
will  wholly  remove,  and  his  person  will  smell  u  ancient 
and  fish-like"  for  weeks. 

Bass  fishermen  will  boast  that  they  never  allow  their 
lines  to  over  run,  but  listeners  should  make  allowances 
for  sportsmen's  stories.  We  all  like  to  believe  that  we  can 
shoot  and  fish  as  well  as  the  best  or  a  little  better,  and 
ambition  to  excel  is  laudable.  The  truth  is,  there  never 
was  a  fisherman  yet  whose  line  did  not  sometimes  over- 
run and  foul.  This  occurrence  is  the  drawback  to  the 
sport,  and  there  seems  to  be  no  way  of  preventing  it. 
The  pressure  to  be  applied  to  the  reel  depends  upon  so 
many  considerations,  the  force  and  direction  of  the 
wind,  the  power  applied  to  the  cast,  the  speed  of  the 
bait  which  diminishes  as  it  progresses,  and  the  quality  of 


the  line  and  perfect  working  of  the  reel,  whereby  the 
restraining  tension  is  so  difficult  to  apply  perfectly,  so 
hard  to  regulate  exactly  to  the  occasion — that  no  angler, 
however  skillful  or  experienced  can  always  be  sure  that 
his  line  will  go  out  clean  and  clear,  without  bagging  or 
catching,  while  at  the  same  time  his  bait  reaches  the 
utmost  limit  of  distance  to  which  he  can  drive  it. 

So  much  for  bass  fish  ing"  in  the  surf,  a  sport  that  com- 
pares favorably  with  and  is  only  surpassed  by  salmon 
fishing;  but  we  must  not  neglect  the  smaller  run  of 
these  fish  which  are  taken  by  rod  and  reel,  from  the 
weight  of  eight  ounces  to  that  of  sixty  pounds.  The 
large  fish  are  diminishing  at  so  rapid  a  rate  that  there  is 
danger  that  before  many  years  have  passed  surf  fishing 
will  have  ceased  to  be  practiced,  and  Cutty  hunk,  Pasque 
and  West  Island  will  be  deserted,  as  Point  Judith  is 
already.  Far  more  persons  are  interested  in  the  milder 
sport,  and  there  is  hope  that  it  will  last  until  the  time 
comes  when  bass  will  be  bred  artificially  as  trout  and 
salmon  now  are,  and  when  a  stop  shall  be  put  to  the 
decrease  of  these  fish. 

The  prettiest  mode  of  taking  striped  bass  must  be 
admitted  to  be  with  the  fly,  which,  unfortunately  can 
only  be  done  in  the  brackish  or  fresh  water.  Like  sal- 
mon, they  will  not  take  the  fly  generally  in  the  salt 
creeks  and  bays,  and  then  only  when  it  is  trolled.  Thus 
though  the  sport  of  fly  fishing  for  striped  bass  is  excel- 
lent, it  is  confined  to  few  localities,  and  those  often 
difficult  of  access.  Fly  fishing  may  be  done  either  with 
the  ordinary  salmon  rod,  or  in  a  strong  current  with  a 
common  bass  rod,  by  working  your  fly  on  the  top  of  the 
water  and  giving  a  considerable  length  of  line.  The 
best  fly  is  that  with  the  scarlet  ibis  and  white  feathers 
mixed,  the  same  as  used  for  black  bass  ;  but  bass  may  be 


taken  with  any  large  fly,  especially  those  of  the  Blue  Jay 
color.  Excellent  sport  is  occasionally  had  in  this  way 
from  off  some  open  bridge,  where  the  falling  tide  mixed 
with  the  fresh  water  rushes  furiously  between  the  piers. 
In  other  streams  striped  bass  are  taken  early  in  the 
season  with  shrimp  threaded  on  the  hook,  by  passing  the 
point  under  the  back  plates  ;  as  the  season  advances  and 
crabs  shed  their  coats,  with  the  shedder  crabs,  and  in 
the  fall  with  shrimp,  the  barred  killey  and  the  spearing. 

In  fishing  with  shrimp — and  it  is  a  good  bait  all  the 
season  through  and  must  be  tried  when  others  fail — use 
a  float  fastened  about  three  feet  above  a  swivel  sinker, 
to  the  lower  swivel  of  which  are  to  be  attached  two 
distinct  gut  leaders,  one  of  three  feet,  the  other  of  two. 
Single  gut,  if  large,  round  and  true,  is  decidedly  prefera- 
ble, and  the  hook  should  have  a  broad,  round  bend.  If 
very  large  fish  are  expected — and  they  rarely  are — use 
No.  0,  but  generally  No,  3  is  large  enough.  With  crab 
the  hook  must  be  larger.  We  prefer  always  to  have  the 
point  of  the  hook  covered,  and  recommend  that  the 
shrimp  should  be  bunched  on  till  they  hide  the  hook 
entirely,  and  form  a  round,  attractive  bait.  In  June, 
and  throughout  the  summer  the  crab  is  a  better  bait 
ordinarily  than  the  shrimp. 

There  is  no  unbending  rule  for  fishing  ;  the  only  way 
is  to  try  all  plans,  and  if  the  fish  will  not  notice  your 
crab  suspended  in  mid-water,  take  off  your  float  and 
swivel  sinker,  put  on  a  running  sinker,  as  it  is  called, 
made  like  a  piece  of  lead  pipe,  with  a  small  hole  in  the 
center,  tie  a  knot  in  the  line  to  prevent  its  going  down 
on  the  hooks ;  use  a  single  bait  of  a  good  sized  piece  of 
crab,  and  cast  well  out  from  you,  and  let  the  bait  lie  still 
till  you  feel  a  bite.  The  line  being  free,  though  the  lead 
lies  on  the  bottom,  you  can  feel  the  first  touch  of  a  fish 


224 

and  can  strike  at  once,  whereas  if  the  sinker  were  the  old- 
fashioned  deep  sea  lead,  he  would  have  to  drag  its  weight 
some  distance  before  you  were  aware  of  his  proceedings. 
The  angler,  by  fishing  on  the  bottom,  although  justified 
by  a  philosophy  which  establishes  the  fact  that  bass  ought 
to  look  for  crabs  there,  and  not  dangling  about  in  mid- 
water,  will  surely  catch  three  eels  to  one  bass.  The  bait 
except  when  on  the  bottom,  should  be  kept  in  continual 
motion ;  ftiis  is  the  first  law  of  all  bait  fishing.  It  is 
done  by  twitching  the  rod,  and  induces  the  fish  to  seize 
the  prey,  which  they  imagine  is  about  to  escape.  Every 
angler  has  seen  the  fish  time  and  again  dart  at  a  bait 
when  in  motion,  that  they  smelt  round  contemptuously 
when  still.  Crab  is  generally  regarded  as  the  pre-eminent 
bass  bait  in  summer,  although  some  anglers  prefer  that 
wonderful  product  of  the  sea,  the  squid. 

As  the  days  grow  colder,  and  the  crab  re-assumes  his 
impenetrable  coat  and  dangerous  pincers,  shrimp  again 
come  into  play,  and  on  many  occasions  the  belly  of  the 
white  soft  clam  will  attract  the  bass  even  earlier  in  the 
season.  But  in  August  excellent  sport  is  had  casting,  if 
we  may  use  the  word,  for  him  with  the  spearing.  Early 
in  the  summer,  a  delicate  little  fish,  an  inch  or  two  long, 
pearly  white  and  semi-transparent,  with  a  black  eye  and 
a  white  band  along  the  lateral  line,  makes  its  appearance 
on  the  shores  of  Long  Island  and  elsewhere,  arid  has 
come  to  be  called  the  spearing.  It  is  a  beautiful  fish, 
and  properly  dressed  might  rival  in  delicacy  the  English 
white-bait,  but  it  is  never  brought  to  market  till  later  in 
the  season,  when  it  has  grown  several  inches  long  and  is 
comparatively  tasteless.  Being  too  small  in  the  early 
summer  to  take  a  hook,  they  are  difficult  to  catch ;  but  a 
good  working  net,  both  for  these  and  killey-fish,  can  be 
made  of  mosquito  netting  stretcheo]  double  between  two 


225 

hoop  poles,  with  a  stout  cord  run  along  the  top  and  bot- 
tom to  receive  the  leads  and  floats  respectively.  The 
netting  being  wide  can  be  doubled  together  with  the  lead 
line  laid  in  the  bag,  or,  as  sailors  would  say  of  a  rope,  in 
the  "  bight"  ;  and  the  leads  being  small  bits  of  pipe,  fasten- 
ed at  short  intervals,  will  keep  the  net  close  to  the  bottom 
— an  important  particular.  It  should  be  five  to  six  yards 
long,  and  two  men  taking  each  a  handle,  can  sweep  a 
considerable  part  of  the  shore,  and  often  fill  a  pail  with 
minnows  or  spearing  at  one  haul.  The  killey-fish,  so 
called  by  our  ancestors  from  being  caught  in  the  "  kills  "  or 
creeks,  and  of  which  there  are  at  least  three  common 
kinds,  will  rush  about  and  try  to  creep  under  the  net,  but 
spearing  go  in  shoals,  and  when  once  in  the  net  do  not 
seem  to  be  able  to  escape,  but  will  stay  there  as  long  as 
it  is  kept  in  motion.  If  spearing  cannot  be  had,  though 
that  is  rare,  the  barred  killey,  vulgarly  called  the  bass 
killey,  is  the  next  in  beauty  and  attractiveness,  and  if  it 
cannot  be  had  the  ugly  green  killey-fish  may  be  used,  or 
the  shrimp  itself. 

To  cast  with  spearing  in  the  manner  here  suggested, 
successfully,  a  stout,  long  salmon  rod  will  be  requisite. 
A  small  hook  is  run  through  the  spearing's  mouth,  and 
out  at  his  side,  for  he  dies  quickly  and  cannot  be  used 
alive,  and  a  cast  is  made  into  the  foaming  torrent  of  a 
mill-tail  or  rushing  tide.  The  bait  is  drawn  irregularly 
over  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  again  cast  and  played 
like  the  fly.  The  bass  strike  it  as  trout  or  salmon  take 
the  latter,  and  there  is  much  the  same  skill  and  uncer- 
tainty in  the  pursuit.  In  fishing  with  the  killey,  it  is 
usual  to  keep  him  alive  by  merely  running  the  hook 
under  his  skin  alongside  of  the  back  fin.  He  will  live 
for  hours  under  such  treatment. 


BLUE  FISH. — These  fish  furnish  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable instances  of  the  appearance  and  disappearance 
of  species  on  our  coast.     As  in  our  day  with  the  Spanish 
mackerel,  that  favorite  of  the  gourmand, so  in  former  times 
the  blue  fish  appeared  suddenly.     He  was  first  seen  on 
the  coast  of  Massachusetts  in   1764,  and  then  not  again 
till  1792,  and  it  is  only  since  the  year  1830  that  he  has 
been  abundant.     He  seems  to  have  superseded  another 
and  largef-  fish  of  the  same  name,  and  as  his  numbers 
augment,   those  of  the  weak  fish  diminish.     The  blue 
fish  has  singular  vagaries,  sometimes  crowding  every  in- 
let in  swarms,  and  then  deserting  us  altogether,  visiting 
in  one  season  one  locality,  and  in  the  next  another,  but 
ordinarily   frequenting  our  entire  coast  north  to  Massa- 
chusetts.    They  afford  excellent  sport  on  a  rod  and  line, 
being  among  the  strongest  and  boldest  of  their   kind, 
taking  the  fly  readily  under  certain  circumstances,  and 
they  fight  well  when  hooked,  but  from  the  character  of  the 
localities  they  usually  frequent,  they  are  mostly  taken 
with  a  hand  line  from  a  sail  boat.     An  artificial  squid  of 
bone  ivory  or  lead   is  trailed  along  at  the  end  of  forty 
yards  of  stout  line  from  a  boat  dancing  merrily  over  the 
waves  under  the  influences  of  a  moderate  breeze.     The 
boatman's  business  is  to  watch  for  a  shoal  which  can  be 
seen  by  their  breaking  in  their  pursuit  of  the  mossbunk- 
ers  or  by  the  action  of  the  gulls,  and  when  he  has  found 
it,  by  repeated  tacks  to  keep  the  boat  in  or  near  it,  the 
fisherman's  duty  is  to  haul  in  steadily  and  regularly  im- 
mediately on  feeling  a  bite,  and  to  get  out  his  line  again 
as  soon  as  possible.     The  fish  dart  forward  when  hooked 
and  throwing  thernseves  out  of  water  turn  almost  a  com- 
plete somersault,  when,  if  the  line  is  not  taut,  they  will 
throw  the  hook  out  of  their  mouths.     The  dashing  of 
the  waves  and  flying  of  the  spray,  the  rapid  exhilarating 


22? 

motion  of  the  vessel,  the  fresh  sea  breeze,  the  rapid  bit- 
ing, and  fine  play  of  the  fish  make  a  day  pass  pleasantly 
in  trolling  for  blue  fish. 

A  variety  of  squids  is  desirable,  for  dark  days  the 
bright  one  are  preferable  and  for  bright  days  the  con- 
trary, but  for  general  use  the  leaden  or  pewter  squid  is 
the  best.  The  size  must  be  adapted  to  that  of  the  fish. 
After  a  run  of  good  fish  in  the  latter  part  of  May  none 
appear  in  our  bays  until  about  July  first  when  the  small 
ones  arrive.  For  these  small  squids  are  desirable,  but 
as  the  season  advances  and  they  grow  larger  the  bait 
also  must  be  larger.  Their  teeth  are  sharp  .and  will  cut 
through  the  line  if  they  reach  above  the  hook,  and  it  is 
said,  will  take  off  the  fisherman's  finger  if  he  puts  it  in 
their  mouths.  It  is  necessary  to  have  a  stout  line,  and 
it  is  well  also  to  wear  gloves  to  prevent  cutting  the 
hands,  the  shearing  about  of  the  fish  together  with  the 
motion  of  the  boat  causing  sharp  jerks  and  a  heavy  strain , 
and  when  the  water  is  clear  and  the  fish  shy  it  will  be 
found  profitable  to  use  a  twisted  or  double  gut  leader 
for  a  short  distance  above  the  squid.  This  will  stand  a 
good  pull  and  will  lift  an  ordinary  fish  out  of  water, 
and  if  one  is  occasionally  carried  off  will  more  than  pay 
for  itself  by  the  extra  number  of  bites  that  it  will  obtain. 
There  are  no  shyer  fish  than,  blue  fish,  fierce  and  raven- 
ous as  they  are.  It  they  encounter  the  wing  of  a  pound 
net  on  entering  a  harbor  they  will  not  attempt  to  pass 
around  it  like  bass  and  weak  fish  and  even  Spanish 
mackerel  but  they  will  turn  back  immediately  and  go 
out  to  sea  again.  The  finer  the  tackle  that  can  be  used 
with  them  the  more  successful  the  fisherman  will  be, 
and  throughout  the  entire  summer  months  no  blue  fish 
will  be  encountered  that  cannot  be  hauled  into  a  boat 
on  a  good  line  of  double  salmon  gut.  Beyond  this  there 


is  not  much  science  in  trolling  for  blue  fish,  although 
there  is  some  practice 'necessary  in  keeping  one's  feet 
on  the  deck  of  the  yacht,  if  a  yacht  is  used,  while  it  is 
dashing  over  the  waves  of  the  ocean  and  the  fisherman's 
attention  is  absorbed  in  hauling  in  his  line  more  rapidly 
than  the  fastest  of  fish  can  swim  forward  on  it. 

Still  fishing  for  blue  fish  has  become  quite  a  favorite 
sport  lately  in  localities  where  formerly  nothing  but 
trolling  was  ever  thought  of.  There  is  an  excitement  in 
dancing  over  the  restless  ocean  in  the  diminutive  sail 
boat ;  there  is  more  or  less  of  danger  upon  the  "  mighty 
deep"  and  passing  in  and  out  of  the  angry,  sullen,  threat- 
ening inlet,  with  its  rows  upon  rows  of  crested  breakers, 
its  uncertain  and  changing  shoals  and  its  rapid  currents, 
and  there  is  always  the  possibility  of  being  caught  out 
all  night  by  the  turning  of  the  tide  or  the  falling  of  the 
wind.  So  that  although  the  mere  striking  and  hauling  in 
the  fish  on  a  stout  line  and  with  a  big  hook  would  other- 
wise be  dull  sport,  the  accompaniments  make  trolling 
more  exhilarating  than  bait  fishing  from  an  anchored  ves- 
sel. The  sport  has,  however,  so  greatly  deteriorated  of 
late  the  fish  have  become  so  scarce,  being  caught 
by  pound  nets  placed  across  their  favorite  inlets  or  by 
fishing  with  fly  nets  at  night  on  their  feeding  grounds 
inside  the  lagoons  along  tfye  coast,  that  trolling  with  a 
sail  boat,  at  least  near  New  York  has  almost  ceased  to 
furnish  remuneration  either  in  the  way  of  sport  or  profit, 
and  anglers  have  been  driven  to  other  methods.  One 
of  the  best  of  these  is  still  fishing  with  rod  and  reel. 

The  same  tackle  is  used  as  in  bass  fishing  in  the  surf, 
except  that  the  hook  had  better  be  fastened  to  the  line 
with  a  length  of  fine  brass  wire  to  prevent  the  saw 
shaped  teeth  of  the  blue  fish  cutting  it  off.  The  boat  is 
anchored  generally  in  the  channel,  inside  of  the  inlet 


229 

where  there  is  a  strong  current,  but  often  out  in  the 
ocean  itself.  Menhaden,  otherwise  called  mossbunkers 
or  bony-fish  are  used  for  bait.  A  number  of  these  fish 
are  cut  in  pieces  and  cast  into  the  water  to  make  what 
is  called  a  "  slick " — the  oil  from  them  floating  on  the 
surface.  This  is  continued  until  the  blue  fish  are 
attracted  and  are  tolled  in  to  take  the  food.  The  angler 
then  baiting  his  hook  with  mossbunker  commences  his 
work.  Casting  into  the  strong  current  his  bait  is  carried 
off  as  far  as  he  cares  to  let  it  go,  and  amid  the  "  chum  " 
as  the  chopped  fish  is  called.  As  it  offers  a  more  attrac- 
tive morsel  than  the  smaller  pieces  around  it,  a  blue 
fish  is  sure  to  give  it  the  preference,  and 

Darting  upon  it  with  hungry  maw, 
He  sinks  the  hook  in  his  upper  ]*aw. 

Then  comes  "  a  terrible  rush  of  fear  and  dread  with  a 
force  by  rage  made  double,"  and  away  goes  the  fish  and 
out  runs  the  line  till  the  reel  sings  "  sweetest  music  to 
attendant  ears,"  and  the  fisherman  has  all  he  can  do  to 
control  and  conquer  his  powerful  prey.  Blue  fish  are 
game  from  the  tips  of  their  noses  to  the  ends  of  their 
caudal  fins,  and  have  back  bone  for  anything.  They  are 
worthy  relatives  of  the  dolphin,  of  antique  and  lyric 
fame.  They  fight  to  the  last,  and  in  their  dying  gasps 
do  not  disdain  to  bite  off  the  finger  or  thumb  of  their 
victor  if  he  comes  "  fooling  around  "  their  jaws  too  heed- 
lessly. Such  sport  as  this  is  not  to  be  despised,  and 
compares  fairly  with  that  had  with  a  "  wet  sheet  and  a 
flowing  sea."  It  is  followed  at  Fire  Island  inlet  on 
Long  Island  and  elsewhere,  and  will  be  successful  in  any 
water  inhabited  by  blue  fish,  where  there  is  a  current 
and  where  bait  can  be  obtained.  Formerly  a  weak 
imitation  of  it  was  indulged  in  by  Miss  Nancy  fishermen 
who  regarded  trolling  with  a  hand  line  as  coarse  work, 


230 

and  who  had  themselves  towed  in  a  row  boat  behind  a 
sail  boat  while  they  fished  with  rod  and  reel.  As  soon 
as  they  struck  a  fish  it  was  the  duty  of  one  of  the  hands 
on  the  sail  boat  to  cast  them  loose  and  let  them  kill  it  at 
their  leisure.  They  could  not  fish  from  the  sail  boat 
because  its  speed  added  to  that  of  the  fish  was  more 
than  their  tackle  would  stand.  Such  make-believe  sport 
however  never  had  many  followers,  and  still  fishing, 
such  as  we  have  described  has  wholly  supplanted  it  and 
is  in  every  way  to  be  preferred. 

The  sport  "outside"  is  better  than  that  inside  the 
inlet,  as  the  fish  are  larger  and  there  is  something  glori- 
ous in  fishing  in  the  clear  depths  and  on  the  limitless 
surface  of  the  mighty  ocean,  but  we  warn  all  who  have 
the  least  tendency  to  sea  sickness  to  avoid  it.  When 
anchored  "  amid  the  breakers,"  the  boat,  whether  large 
or  small,  rolls,  pitches,  twists,  turns,  wobbles  and  dances 
in  a  way  that  is  wholly  unexpected  even  by  those  who 
have  had  experience  on  the  unstable  element,  and  good 
sailors  have  become  so  sick  in  a  short  time  that  they 
have  scarcely  been  able  to  get  up  their  anchors,  jnake 
sail  and  work  back  again  into  smooth  water.  In  all 
chumming  there  are  but  two  secrets;  cut  the  chum  fine, 
and  use  enough  of  it.  Although  we  have  spoken  of 
using  a  rod  and  reel,  more  blue  fish  are  taken  on  a  hand 
line  which,  especially  u outside''  is  far  more  easily  man- 
aged. It  is  what  we  generally  use,  but  those  who  prefer 
more  science  and  fewer  fish  can  use  the  more  elegant 
tackle. 

SPANISH  MACKEREL. — These  splendid  fish  which  have 
become  quite  abundant  at  times  on  our  coast  of  late 
years,  are  shy  and  difficult  to  capture.  They  were 
occasionally  taken  while  trolling  for  blue  fish,  but  we 
have  sale**  hrough  miles  of  them  and  scarcely  induced 


231 

a  half  dozen  to  bite  at  the  artificial  squid.  Persons  have 
devoted  their  special  attention  to  finding  some  line  that 
would  satisfy  their  dainty  views,  but  with  only  moder- 
ate and  partial  success.  They  are  wonderfully  active 
and  powerful,  leaping  from  the  water  in  long  graceful 
curves  like  the  mythical  fishes  of  "  Fairyland  "  and  not 
like  trout,  salmon  and  blue  fish,  which  either  makes  a 
quick  snap  or  splash  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  or  jump 
a  short  distance  out  and  up  above  it,  falling  back  on  the 
tails  or  sides,  as  often  as  on  their  heads.  But  the  Spanish 
Mackerel  pursue  their  prey,  the  small  bony  fish  or  moss- 
bunkers-  and  the  spearing,  with  such  velocity,  that  they 
throw  themselves  in  a  long  arc  out  of  water,  when  the 
latter  rush  to  the  surface  and  leap  from  it  in  their  frantic 
efforts  to  escape.  By  this  peculiarity,  they  can  be 
distinguished  from  their  coarser  brethren  the  blue  fish, 
and  may  be  followed  with  the  sail  boat.  On  the  South 
coast  of  Long  Island,  we  have  seen  them  "  breaking  in 
this  way  over  miles  square  of  water  and  have  sailed  by 
millions  of  them.  The  most  successful  troll  is  a  squid 
made  of  red  bone  and  with  this  as  many  as  a  hundred 
have  occasionally  been  caught  by  the  anglers  being  on 
the  ground  or  rather  water  early  in  the  morning.  This 
red  bone  has  a  hook  run  through  it  in  the  ordinary  way, 
and  it  is  trolled  behind  a  sail  boat  precisely  in  the  same 
manner  that  blue  fish  are  trolled.  They  are  probably 
the  finest  fish  for  the  table  that  are  drawn  from  the  salt 
or  the  fresh  water  and  they  are  worthy  of  all  the  labor 
and  patience  required  to  catch  them. 

WEAK-FISH  AND  KING- FISH. — The  latter  of  these  are 
exceedingly  the  better  fish  to  eat,  and  are  deserving  of 
the  angler's  attention  whenever  they  can  be  found,  which 
is  only  in  a  few  of  the  salt  water  bays  or  inlets  of  our 
coast.  They  both  take  clam  bait  and  the  weak-fish  will 


232 

often  take  a  white-fly  fastened  to  the  line  above  the  bait, 
and  used  in  bait-fishing  not  fly-fishing.  King-fish  are 
essentially  bottom  fish,  and  have  a  small  sucker-like 
mouth,  which  can  only  swallow  a  small  hook  and  bait ; 
they  are  found  on  oyster  beds  which  they  no  doubt 
explore  for  food.  Once  hooked,  although  they  pull  hard, 
they  can  rarely  escape  on  account  of  the  leathery  nature 
of  their  lips  unless  the  hooks  break.  They  must  be 
tished  tor  close  to  the  bottom.  Many  persons  use  a 
sinker  on  the  end  of  the  line  with  the  hook  or  gut  leader 
fastened  six  inches  above,  but  we  prefer  a  float  and 
sinker  and  two  hooks  on  leaders  below  the  latter.  By 
this  rig,  more  space  can  be  covered.  Weak-fish,  on  the 
other  hand,  are  mid- water  fish,  and  have  large  mouths 
and  soft  jaws.  For  them,  it  is  well  to  use  a  large 
Carlyle  hook  of  fine  steel  with  a  round  bend,  a  float  and 
pinker,  with  but  a  short  distance  between  them,  and 
fine  leaders  of  gut.  Both  of  these  fish  like  shedder  crab, 
and  at  times  will  take  the  belly  or  soft  part  of  the  clam, 
when  they  will  refuse  the  tougher  portion  usually  used. 
The  king-fish  is  always  and  everywhere  rather  scarce, 
but  the  weak-fish,  was  once  taken  in  New  York  harbor 
in  immense  numbers  and  is  so  taken  in  Barnegat  Bay. 
The  first  of  flood  tide,  is  usually  preferred  as  the  time 
for  catching  all  salt  water  fish,  but  this  is  not  a  univer- 
sal rule  and  often  they  will  only  bite  on  the  first  of  the 
ebb,  but  if  they  bite  on  neither,  it  is  useless  to  fish 
"  between  times." 


233 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

NETS  AND  NETTING. 

Before  closing  this  work  we  will  say  a  few  words  con- 
cerning nets  and  the  dangers  that  follow  unrestricted  net 
fishing.  When  the  country  was  sparsely  populated,  and 
fish  were  abundant,  the  most  ready  and  effectual  methods 
of  capturing  them  were  the  best.  Now  that  all  kinds  of 
fish  have  become  scarce,  and  some  have  disappeared 
altogether,  limits  must  be  placed  on  their  destruction, 
and  the  kinds  of  nets  and  sizes  of  mesh  must  be  regula- 
ted, or  the  supply  will  soon  be  utterly  exhausted.  There 
are  strong  and  blindly  selfish  interests  opposed  to  all 
legislation  in  such  direction,  but  the  public  welfare  is 
paramount  and  must  prevail.  If  we  are  to  have  fish 
much  longer  abundant  with  us  the  use  of  nets  must  be 
regulated  by  law.  Of  all  nets  the  most  fatal  are  the 
pounds. 

Pound  nets  are  so  called  from  a  sort  of  trap  or  pound 
made  of  netting  at  their  outermost  extremity,  so  arranged 
that  fish  can  enter  it,  but  cannot  escape.  To  this  trap  is 
attached  a  long  wing  or  wall  of  netting,  and  it  has 
mesh  fine  enough  to  prevent  the  passage  of  the  smallest  fish 
which  are  only  used  and  only  fit  for  manure,  the  mesh 
not  being  over  one  and  a  quarter  inches  stretched,  or  three 
quarters  of  an  inch  between  knots.  The  wing  reaches 
from  the  trap,  which  is  either  located  in  the  channel 
or  adjacent  to  it,  well  up  ashore,  and  is  hung  on 
stakes  driven  firmly  into  the  ground.  It  is  some- 
times six  miles  long,  and  has  sometimes  six  traps 
at  intervals  of  a  mile  each,  and  is  never  taken  up  after 
once  it  is  set,  except  for  a  change  of  location,  or 
old  borers  reproves  them,  without  permission  of 


234 

the  owners.  The  plan  of  operation  is  this ;  A  school 
of  fish,  or  \  single  individual  running  into  a  harbor 
— for  it  is  such  localities  that  are  usually  selected 
— strikes  against  the  wing,  and  is  arrested  in  his 
course.  Sometimes  he  turns  back  and  goes  to  sea 
again.  Timid  fishes  are  often  driven  off  in  this 
manner,  and  never  return,  doing  no  good  to  the  pound 
fishermen,  nor  to  those  who  might  have  captured 
them  in  more  legitimate  ways.  But  if  they  are  bold  and 
determined  they  will  push  on,  following  the  obstruction 
to  its  outer  end,  with  the  intention  of  passing  around  it. 
They  are  frequently  of  the  class  of  migratory  fishes 
which  must  change  their  element,  and  will  strive  by 
every  means  to  overcome  obstacles,  or  they  may  be  shore 
varieties  which  are  seeking  some  bay  or  shallow  creek  in 
which  to  spawn,  and  which  it  is  very  desirable  should 
not  be  frustrated  in  their  purpose.  They  swim  cautious- 
ly, but  perseveringly,  along  the  wall  of  netting,  but 
when  the}7  come  to  the  end,  instead  of  passing  around  it 
they  are  conducted  into  the  trap,  from  which  there  is  no 
escape,  and  where  they  await  the  arrival  of  the  fisher- 
man, who  usually  raises  and  empties  his  pound  once  or 
twice  a  day. 

This  simple  statement  of  the  plan  of  operation  shows 
its  great  destructiveness.  It  is  fishing  all  the  while  \  day 
and  night  its  victims  are  being  led  into  the  fatal  traps. 
Nothing  that  comes  along  can  escape,  unless  it  be  the 
timorous  varieties,  whose  alarm  carries  them  at  once  back 
to  their  haunts  of  safety  and  out  of  the  reach  of  man.  It 
is  an  inexpensive  engine  of  piscatorial  warfare  as  fatal  to 
the  masses  offish  life  as  to  the  single  individual  voyaging 
alone.  No  one  would  object  if  there  were  fish  enough 
for  it  and  for  the  neighboring  residents  beside.  Were 
that  the  case?it  would  be  a  convenient  and  effectual  method 


235 

of  supplying  the  markets,  but  this  is  not  the  case,  and 
while  pound  nets  misappropriate  the  common  stock,  they 
overwork  the  fisheries,  however  prolific  they  may  be,  and 
in  the  end  exhaust  the  supply.  The  more  fish  there  are, 
the  more  are  taken  ;  none  escape  but  the  very  few  who 
follow  the  exact  center  of  the  channel.  Not  enough  are 
left  to  keep  up  the  breed,  the  habits  of  spawning  are 
directly  interfered  with,  the  fishing  begins  to  deteriorate, 
it  never  lasts  but  a  few  years,  and  at  the  close  leaves  that 
entire  section  of  water  absolutely  bare  offish,  dependent 
upon  accident  or  the  laborious  efforts  of  man  for  its 
possible  restoration. 

Against  this  unfair  appropriation  of  public  property, 
the  people  have  a  manifest  right  to  protest  and  legislate, 
and  the  question  of  investments  of  property  in  so  glaring 
a  wrong  is  not  to  be  considered  for  a  moment.  The  pro- 
cess has  been  permitted  to  go  too  far  already,  and  the 
sooner  it  is  stopped  the  more  will  be  saved  to  the  com- 
munity. It  has  caused  much  harm,  and  is  daily  continu- 
ing its  injurious  work.  In  the  New  York  Fishery  reports 
reference  has  been  made  to  many  localities  where  the 
fishing,  once  excellent,  was  ruined  by  this  process. 
The  list  can  be  extended  every  year. 

Fallacious,  views  have  existed  as  to  the  migratory  habits 
of  fish.  It  has  been  supposed  that  they  were  accustomed 
to  make  long  journeys,  that  they  traveled  up  and  down 
rivers,  moved  from  shore  to  shore  of  broad  lakes,  and 
even  crossed  the  ocean.  The  motions  of  anadromous  fish 
had  probably  furnished  ground  for  this  opinion,  but  even 
as  to  them  the  impression  is  essentially  incorrect.  Shad 
appear  first  in  the  spring  in  the  rivers  of  our  southern 
states;  as  the  season  advances  they  begin  to  be  taken  in 
more  northerly  waters  till  in  June  and  July  they  visit 
the  streams  of  New  England  and  then  close  their  career, 


236 

Nothing  was  more  natural  than  to  suppose  that  these 
fish  traversed  the  entire  sea  coast,  coming  in,  perhaps, 
from  the  depths  of  the  ocean  or  the  warm  waters  of  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  where  they  had  been  feeding  during  the 
winter,  and  gradually  advancing  northward  as  the  hot 
days  progressed,  sending  off  a  cohort  into  each  river 
which  was  adapted  to  their  propagation.  Subsequent 
experiments  have  tended  strongly  to  negative  this 
theory  as  "we  have  already  explained  and  it  is  now 
believed  among  those  best  informed  that  fish  move 
their  quarters  rarely  and  to  only  a  limited  extent ; 
and  that  even  migratory  varieties  remain  not  far 
from  the  mouths  of  the  rivers  which  they  ascend  for  the 
purposes  of  procreation. 

The  slow  succession  of  changing  varieties  along  our 
own  coast  confirm  this  later  view  of  their  habits.  It  is 
within  the  memory  of  man  that  the  common  blue-fish, 
temnodon  saltator,  arrived  among  us.  It  did  not  come 
all  at  once,  but  augmented  slowly,  displacing  a  coarser 
and  larger  variety  of  the  mackerel  family,  But  it  had 
come  to  stay,  and  the  advanced  guard  was  soon  joined  by 
others. 

It  took  up  its  permanent  residence  with  us  and  pro- 
ceeded to  increase  and  multiply.  It  is  now  the  most 
abundant  of  our  salt  water  fishes.  It  stands  at  the  head 
of  the  list  and  yet  it  may  be  on  the  way  to  displacement. 
We  hope  it  is,  as  it  is  very  voracious,  and  if  supplanted 
at  all  will  have  a  substitute  its  superior  in  every  point. 
Within  the  last  fifteen  years  the  Spanish  mackerel,  cybium 
maculatum,  has  made  its  appearance  among  us.  Taking 
its  name  from  the  Spanish  West  Indies  where  it  was  first 
only  caught,  it  was  wholly  unknown  on  our  shores  till 
quite  lately.  Nor  does  it  now  seem  to  breed  among  us. 
The  young  are  not  found  in  any  of  our  bays  or  creeks. 


237 

but  it  is  yearly  becoming  more  and  more  numerous. 
Even  now  there  are  days  in  summer  when  the  Long 
Island  coast  literally  swarms  with  Spanish  mackerel. 
They  have  been  observed  in  solid  schools  twenty  miles 
wide  and  of  unknown  length.  These  immense  masses 
must  evidently  have  come  on  from  the  south,  but  it  has 
taken  them  years  to  get  here.  They  have  moved  gradu- 
ally and  it  is  to  be  hoped  they  will  be  equally  slow  in 
leaving,  and  that  they  may  supplant  the  blue-fish  to  which 
they  bear  a  family  resemblance.  They  are,  as  a  table 
delicacy,  the  finest  fish  which  is  to  be  found  in  our  country, 
and  will  add  much  to  the  attractions  of  our  fish  food  if 
they  remain  with  us. 

This  same  unwillingness  to  change  locality  is  still 
more  observable  among  fresh  water  fish.  The  trout 
fisher  has  often  observed  a  trout  of  unusual  size 
occupying  a  certain  spot  in  the  stream,  and  expected 
always  to  find  him  until  he  was  captured,  or  driven 
away.  Salmon  Trout  and  Pickerel  fishing  through 
the  ice,  in  winter,  demonstrates  this  love  of  locality  in  a 
still  more  marked  degree.  It  is  found  that  after  fishing 
for  a  few  days  at  one  place,  the  fisherman  can  take  no 
more,  and  he  must  move  and  cut  new  holes  for  his  lines. 
Though  it  be  only  a  change  of  a  few  hundred  yards  the 
fishing  will  be  renewed  and  as  good  as  ever.  Now,  if 
trout  were  in  the  habit  of  roaming  about  they  would  have 
no  local  habitation,  but  be  taken  in  one  part  of  the  stream 
one  day,  and  in  another  the  next.  So  with  Salmon 
Trout  and  pickerel,  did  they  keep  continually  moving 
there  would  be  no  use  in  a  fisherman  changing  his  lines ; 
he  would  only  have  to  wait  in  one  spot  till  the  fish  came 
round. 

It  is  this  peculiarity  which  rules  in  most  if  not  all  our 
fish  which  makes  pound-netting  so  terribly  destructive. 


238 

Was  the  supply  at  each  favorable  station  continuously 
renewed  from  the  vast  storehouse  of  nature,  it  would  make 
no  difference  if  they  were  all  fished  out  at  any  one  particu- 
lar spot — a  short  rest  would  recuperate  the  fishery  and 
others  would  take  the  place  of  those  which  had  been 
caught.  As  it  is,  however,  when  any  locality  is  stripped 
clean  and  bare,  it  remains  barren  for  a  long  time.  Where 
only  a  few  valuable  fish  are  left,  their  natural  enemies, 
being  as  numerous  as  ever,  prevail  against  them  and 
destroy  the  last  remnant. 

Possibly,  after  many  years  of  waiting,  strangers  may 
work  their  way  in  ;  but  it  is  a  slow  operation.  If  man 
endeavors  to  assist  the  process  by  artificial  cultivation, 
he  has  nothing  to  work  upon.  He  can  get  no  eggs, 
because  the  parents  are  gone.  He  must  import  and  plant 
new  seed,  an  undertaking  always  difficult,  and  often 
doubtful. 

Fykes  are  modified  pound  nets,  and  not  so  injurious 
unless  too  many  of  them  are  set,  or  the  mesh  is  too  small. 
They  have  short  wing,  and  the  outer  end  is  kept  open 
with  hoops  of  wood,  some  being  larger  and  some  smaller, 
so  as  to  make  modified  traps  in  which  the  fish  are  retain- 
ed. The  objection  against  them  as  they  are  now  used  is, 
that  they  catch  the  fry  on  account  of  the  smallness  of 
their  mesh.  Seines  are  sweep  nets,  and  are  the  least  in- 
jurious ot  all,  as  they  give  the  fish  a  chance  to  slip  by 
while  they  are  not  in  use.  Another  destructive  net  is 
the  gill  net.  It  is  used  largely  for  shad,  and  is  either 
attached  to  poles  as  a  permanent  and  fixed  fishing  engine, 
or  is  floated  by  the  current,  suspended  in  the  water. 
Their  length  varies  between  one  hundred  and  eight  hun- 
dred fathoms.  The  largest  of  these  require  but  one  light 
skiff, with  two,  or  at  most,  but  three  men  to  manage  them. 
Being  constructed  of  fine  twine  they  are  almost  imper- 


239 

ceptible  to  the  fishes  in  the  turbid  tide  waters.  When 
later  in  the  season  the  water  becomes  clear,  greater  ex- 
ecution is  done  by  fishing  at  night.  The  mesh  was  for- 
merly six  and  one-fourth  inches,  it  is  now  reduced  to 
five  and  even  less,  sufficiently  large,  however,  to  admit 
of  the  shad  getting  its  head  so  far  through  the  mesh  that 
it  is  fastened  by  the  gills,  hence  the  term  gill  net,  but 
so  small  as  to  take  fish  that  should  not  be  marketed. 

These  gill  nets  have  both  a  lead  and  a  cork  line,by  which 
they  are  held  in  a  vertical  position  as  they  drift  with  the 
current.  With  the  treble  view  of  the  economy  of  mate- 
rial, the  prevention  of  injury  by  vessels  of  light  draught 
in  passing  over  them,  and  to  enable  the  same  net  to  be 
used  with  facility  in  either  deep  or  shoal  water,  the  upper 
margin  of  the  net  is  supported  by  long  and  slender  cords 
ot  from  five  to  seven  feet  in  length,  to  the  free  ends  ot 
which  corks  or  wooden  floats  are  attached.  The  net 
thus  constructed  is  laid  upon  the  stern  of  the  skiff,  one 
or  two  men,  according  to  its  size,  row  the  boat  across  the 
current,  while  another  standing  on  the  stern  carefully 
casts  the  net  into  the  water.  This  done,  it  is  suffered  to 
drift  with  the  tide,  direction  being  given  it  by  the  boat 
to  which  the  end  remains  attached.  After  the  net  has 
drifted  a  sufficient  length  of  time,  the  fishes  are  removed 
from  it,  either  by  under-running  it  or  by  replacing  it  upon 
the  stern  of  the  boat,  again  to  be  cast  into  the  water. 

No  nets  should  be  used  except  in  the  ocean,  the  large 
rivers  and  lakes,and  even  then  the  mesh  should  be  limited 
as  to  size,  but  as  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  community 
is  ready  for  so  sweeping  a  law,  necessary  as  it  is  ;  the  most 
injurious,  which  are  the  pound  nets,  should  be  everwhere 
prohibited.  These  are  so  fatal,  that  they  should  not  be 
allowed  anywhere  unless  it  be  in  the  ocean.  We  do  riot 


240 


enter  into  any  further  details  as  to  nets  and  net-fishing, 
for  the  reason  that  we  are  wholly  opposed  to  their  use 
except  for  two  or  three  kinds  of  fish  that  can  he  taken 
in  no  other  way  and  that  are  wholly  food  and  not  sport- 
ing fish.  We  believe  that  the  sportsman  and  iish-cultur- 
ist,  has  some  rights  which  the  net-fisherman  is  bound  and 
will  one  day  be  made  to  respect.  And  the  sooner  that 
day  comes  the  better  for  the  community. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

INTRODUCTION 3 

Chapter   1— Fish  Culture 10 

"       2— Trout  Culture 19 

"       3— Trout  Ponds 30 

"       4 -Hatching House 38 

"       5— Treatment  of  Eggs 50 

"       6— Young  Trout  and  Salmon 58 

t<k      7-Adult  Trout ..  74 

"       8— Holton  and  other  Hatching  Boxes 93 

"       9— Manipulating  Salmon  and  Trout 102 

"     10— General  Remarks  on  Trout  Breeding — 121 

'*     11— Other  Varieties  of  Fish 133 

"     12— Shad  Culture 141 

"      13-Black  Bass  and  other  Fish "...157 

"     14-Fish  Catching 176 

"     15— Fishing  for  the  Salmon  Family 184 

"     16— Fishing  for  Bass  and  other  Fish 211 

"     17— Nets  and  Netting 233 


I  1ST  ID  E 


PAGE. 

American  Waters  ...................  11 

American  Fish  .  .  ...................  13 

Ainsworth's  Screens  ................  121 

Alewives  ...........................  156 

Black  Bass  .................  13,157,159 

Water  ..............  .  ........  159 

Spawning  .............  159,160 

Young  ...................  159 

Transportation  .............  161 

Fishing  ....................  211 

Bullheads,  ..................  see  cat-fish 

Brook  Trout  ..................  see  trout 

Blue  Swelling  ......................  69 

Blind  Fish  ..................  77,  87,  178 

Bottom  of  Ponds  .................  34,38 

Breeding  of  Trout  ..................  120 

Semi-artificial  ..............  190 

Bait-Fishing  ........................  208 

Brewer's  Fish  Way  .................  130 

Blue-backed  Trout  .................  135 

Bottom  Fishing  ................  223,  236 

Blue  Fish  ......................  226,  236 

Trolling  .  ...................  227 

Chumming  ................  228 

Cold  Blooded  Creatures  ........  ....    7 

Connecticut  River  ..................  12 

Catfish  ......................  13,158,  169 

Carp  ........................  15,157,163 

Commissioners  of  Fisheries  ........  17 

Cisco  ..............................  13 

Conferva  ...........................  23 

Cleanliness  ....................  .  61,  62 

California  Brook  Trout.  ...20,  64,  67,  86 

Handling  ..........  ......  67,  114 

Cybium  Maculatum  ................  236 

Chumming  for  Blue  Fish  ...........  228 


Cot 


221 


Casting  the  Fly  ........  .  ...........  206 

Casting  Lines....  .  ..........  see  leaders 

Changing  Water  in  Cans  of  Fish  ____  128 

Cannibalism  ....................  89,  129 

Cray-Fish  ..........................  89 


PAOE. 

Color  of  (Fish 78 

California  Salmon see  Salmon,  Cal. 

Dry  Impregnation 16 

Diseases 23,68,  69,  87,109 

Diminution  of  Fish 25,  26, 144 

Deformities 59 

Distribution  of  Trout  Fry . .     60 

Enemies  of  Fish  Life. 22,  25, 54,  87, 90,92 

Eels 22,93 

Eggs  when  ripe 28,111 

How  Fertilized 29,  111 

Shells 37,128 

Number  on  Trays 42 

Treatment 50 

Placing  in  Troughs 50 

Growth 53 

Dead 53,118 

Transportation 54 

Trays  for 97 

Inspecting 98 

Loss  of 106 

Number  in  Fish... 107 

Washing 115 

Wilmot's  Treatment 117 

Dead  before  impregnation . .  118 

Killed  by  cold 119 

Of  Shad 155 

Of  Black  Bass 160 

Exhaustion  of  fisheries .238 

Fish  Culture,  General  Review 6 

Compared  with  Agriculture  6, 7 
Conclusions  Established  . .      9 

Origin  of 10 

In  American  .Waters 11 

Foreign  Method 15 

Partly  Natural  Method 121 

Palmer's  Method 129 

Fecundity ". 7 

Fish  Commissioners 17 

Fish  Catching 176 

Fykes 238 

Flies 193 


243 


PAGE. 

Filter 47 

Feather  Implement...     49 

Fry  when  Visible  53 

Food  of  Trout  Fry 63 

Motion  of 65 

Food  for  Trout 79,  130 

Salt 83 

Fry  of  Shad 155 

Fly-Fishing 184 

for  Striped  Bass 222 

For  Shad 215 

FlyRods 184 

Tying 193,198 

Book 197 

Frog  Culture 172 

Fish  Ways  131 

Frozen  Fish 119 

Fungus 87, 109 

Gold  Fish 13,  92,  93, 158,  163 

Government  Aid 13 

Grayling 20, 133 

Spawns 20 

Where  found 134 

Food 134 

Gravel  for  troughs 48 

Growth  of  Eggs 53 

Trout,  Salmon  and   Salmon 

Trout 66 

Glass  Trays 100 

Jars 99 

Gill  Nets 238 

Mesh 239 

Hueningaen 13 

Hoi  ton  Hatching  Box 16,  93,  139 

Hatching  Boxes 93 

Coating 16 

ForShad 16 

Hatching  House 38 

of  New  York 39 

Plan  of 43 

Herring 156 

Hooks 197 

Needle  Point 198 

Handling 108 

Wilmot's.Plan 117 

Shad  Eggs 152 

Hearing  in  Fish 91 

Hybrids 83,168 

Introduction 3 

Impregnation  ... 23,  111 

Dry 16 


PAGE" 

Impregnation— Percentage 29 

After  Death 118 

of  Whitefish 139 

Implements  for  Fish  Culture 49 

Incubation  of  the  Salmonidae .  23 

Time  of 52 

[nspecting  Eggs. 98 

Improving.  Streams 132 

Jars  of  Glass  for  Trout  Hatching  ...  99 

Kinds  of  Fish  Cultivated 5,  7 

King-fieh 231 

Lake  Trout see  Salmon  Trout 

Lobsters 169 

Propagation 171 

Lines,  for  Trout  and  Salmon 190 

Striped  Bass 217 

Leaders  for  Trout  and  Salmon.  181,  191 

Striped  Bass 217 

Localization  offish 237 

Microscope 49 

Measure 50 

Moss  for  Transportation 54 

Monstrosities 59 

Maggots 65 

Motion  of  Food 65 

Muskrats 88 

Minks 90 

Manipulation  of    Salmon   and 
Trout... 102,  108,  112 

of  Shad 152 

Milt 107, 110, 114, 115,  119 

Migration  of  Salmon 20,  72 

Shad 141 

Fish 236 

Migratory   Fish  confined    to  fresh 

water 154 

Movement  of  embryo 165 

Moths 194 

Mascallonge • 158 

Fishing ....213 

New  York  Lakes 26 

Commissioners 27 

Nippers 49 

Net  for  moving  Trout 49, 108 

Nursery  for  Trout  Fry 59 

Substitute  for 62 

Net  from  Worms 69 

Night  Fishing 181 

Nets  and  Netting 233 

Natural  Spawning  of  Trout 103 

Ova. . see  eggs 


244 


Outfit  for  Fish  Culture 122 

OswegoBass 158,  162 

Fishing - 213 

Over-running  of  reels .221 

Pike  Perch 13, 14, 158,  162 

Ponds  for  Trout 30,  60 

Location 30 

Laying  out 31 

Shape 31,  32 

Raceways 32,  33 

Bottom 34,  38 

Holes  through  Banks 68 

For  Salmon 70 

Pound  Nets , 233 

Destructiveness.  . . , 234 

Preserving  Fluid 174 

Polywogs 173 

Pickerel 158 

Fishing 214 

Price  of  Eggs  and  Fry 130 

Palmer's  Method  of  Fish  Culture. .  .129 

Profit  of  Fish  Culture 124 

Pan  for  Spawn 110,  113 

Plan  of  Hatching  House 43 

Proportion  of  Males  and  Females.  .107 

Preserves see  Ponds 

Rotation  in  Fish  Culture .  8 

Rats 54 

Remedies  for  Disease 87,  91 

Raceway 32,  33, 108 

Netting,  from 108 

Net  for 108 

Restripping  Female  Trout 114 

Rock  Bass 162 

Rock-fish see  Striped  Bass 

Rods  for  Fly  Fishing 184 

Reels 205 

Running  Sinker 223 

Success  of  Fish  Culture  3 

Suitable  Varieties  of  Fish 13 

Salmon  Trout 13,  64,  66 

Fishing 209 

Trolling  for 211 

Salmon 13,  64 

Culture  19 

Rivers 19 

Family  Scientific  Names. ...  20 
California,  20, 64, 66, 70,71, 77,  85 

Migration 20,  72 

Nests 20 

Spawning 21,  77, 102 


PAGB, 

Salmon— Eggs 21 

Time  in  which  Eggs  Hatch . .  23 

Young 58 

Fry 58 

Growth 66,  77 

Land  Locked 130 

Confined  to  Fresh  Water 154 

Fishing  184 

Rods 189 

Flies  198 

Seines , 238 

Smell  of  Fish ...179 

Scent  of  Fish 176 

Strawberry  Bass 158 

Supply  of  Water 37,  38,  46,  74 

Sediment 47,  96 

S  hipping  Eggs 54 

Starvation  69 

Salt  Food  for  Fish 83 

Shading  Ponds 85 

Salt  Water  Bath  for  Disease 91 

Syphon 97,  99 

Self-picker 99 

Spawning  of  Trout 21, 102, 103, 108 

Salmon 21,77,102 

Spanish  Mackerel 230,  236 

Shape  of  Ponds 31,  32 

Skin  of  Trout  Delicate 109 

Stripping  Fish ... .108 

Seth  Green  taking  Spawn 112 

Spermatozoa 115 

Stocking  Ponds 122 

Streams 123 

Smelt .136 

Screens 33,  60, 129 

Cleaning 68 

Ainsworth's 121 

Salt  Water  Herring 156 

Streams,  how  Improved 132 

Sturgeon 164 

Shad 13,141 

Trays 97 

Habits 141 

Migration 141 

Natural  Propagation 145 

Natural  Loss 146 

Box 147 

Artificial  Culture 148 

Errors  in  Fish  Culture 148 

Development  of  Egg 149 

Distribution  of  Fry 150 


245 


•  PAGE. 

Shad— Handling  the  Eggs 152 

Ponding  the  Parents 153 

Confined  to  Fresh  Water  . .  .154 

Sent  to  California 155 

Transportation  of  Eggs 155 

Temperature 156 

Acclimatization 155,  156 

Fly-fishing 215 

Stri  ped  Bass 158, 166 

Spawning 167 

Fishing 216 

Lines  for 217 

with  Menhaden 218 

with  Lobster 220 

Fly-fishing, '.  .222 

with  Shrimp 223 

*       with  Crab 224 

with  Spearing 225 

Trout 13,  97 

Culture,    general    consider- 
ations  19,120 

California 20,  64,  67,  86 

Nests 20 

Spawning 21,102 

Eggs,  21 see  eggs 

of  Rangel.ey 22,  75 

Time  of  Incubation  .     .  .23,  52 

Fry 24,  58 

Natural  Hatching 25 

Geographical  Distribution..  27 

Young 58 

Removal 60 

Food 63,  79 

Growth 66,  75,  76 

Adult 74 

Long  Island 76 

Waters  for: 86 

Cannibals 89 

Our  practice  in  Hatching  100. 108 

Crowding  together. 101 

Netting 108 

Culture  Profitable  125 

Blue-backed 135 

Fishing 184 


PAGE. 

Trout— Rods 189 

Troughs  for  Trout^. ...  44 

to  JCleanseTT 61 

Zinc 129 

Temperature  27,  52,  84,  86 

That  will  kill  Eggs 119 

forShad 156 

Treatment  of  Eggs 50 

Time  of  Incubation 52 

Tameness  of  Fish 83 

Trays 97 

of  Glass, 100 

Number  of  Eggs  on 42 

Doable  in  Trough  120 

Baskets 163 

Taking  Spawn  by  Hand.. 108 

Tiring  out  Fish ....113 

Transporting  Live  Fish 127 

Times  for 127 

Number  to  each  Can 128 

Black  Baaa 161 

Tackle 181 

Trolling  for  Trout 208 

Thumb-stall 221 

Umbilical  Sac  24 

Wall-eyed  Pike.    see  pike-perch 

Whitefish 13,20,97 

Hatching  Box  for 94 

Eggs    Impregnated    after 

Death 118 

Welcher's  Treatment 138 

RaisingtheFry 139 

Food  for 140 

Weak  Fish 231 

White  Perch 158, 162 

Welcher's  Method  with  Whitefish..  138 

Wilmot'a  Handling ..117 

Washing  Eggs  115 

Water  Snakes 89 

Worms 69 

Water  Supply 37,  38,  46,  74 

Wastefulness  of  Nature 22 

Yellow  rerch 13,158 

Fishing 214 


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